In 2009, Oregon lawmakers passed legislation, HB 3369, which took the unprecedented step of requiring water developers to make assurances that certain environmental benefits of elevated river flows will be protected before the developer can obtain state financing.[1] These elevated river flows are high pulses of water called ecological flows which act as biological triggers that signal fish species such as salmon to migrate or spawn.[2] The new law also calls for the protection of peak flows, which include both bankfull and overbank flows that rework river channels, move sediment, and clear vegetation.[3] These peak flood flows maintain channel habitat to the benefit of sensitive species.[4] Peak flows are the highest flows that maintain habitat in river channels, while ecological flows are lower elevated flows that signal species to perform important biological functions.
Oregon finds that floods are a good thing: how the state is trying to protect peak and ecological flows by Joshua Daily
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 30, 2011 Comments Off on Oregon finds that floods are a good thing: how the state is trying to protect peak and ecological flows by Joshua Daily |A Community in Action: One Small Town Tackling a Global Challenge by Ian Brown
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 30, 2011 Comments Off on A Community in Action: One Small Town Tackling a Global Challenge by Ian Brown |
The Town of Clarkdale, Arizona is taking on global warming single-handedly, a true “David and Goliath” story. International climate regimes trip and stumble. The United States government hesitates and delays meaningful action. The state of Arizona preoccupies itself with lesser concerns of illegal immigration. Meanwhile, the small town of Clarkdale decides to confront global warming head on. No, the town is not spending its time and resources lobbying legislatures to pass any kind of sweeping legal reforms. Instead, Clarkdale has taken upon itself the ambitious goal of metamorphosing into a sustainable community – breathing new life into Gandhi’s old aphorism “be the change that you want to see in the world.”
Impacts of Wind Turbines on Protected Bird Species: Adopting a Solution for California by Matthew Dominguez
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 18, 2011 Comments Off on Impacts of Wind Turbines on Protected Bird Species: Adopting a Solution for California by Matthew Dominguez |In 2002, California established its Renewable Portfolio Standard Program (RPS), arguably one of the more ambitious and progressive state renewable energy standards in the US. Aimed at curbing climate change and dependence on fossil fuel, the RPS required all “retail seller of electricity, […] purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources [.]” At first, the RPS set the minimum percentage at 20% by 2017, but in 2006, Senate Bill 107 codified 2003 Energy Action Plan I, accelerating the 20% deadline from 2017 to 2010.
On November 17, 2008, Executive Order S-14-08, signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, revised California RPS by requiring that utilities reach a 33% renewable goal by 2020. To achieve this ambitious goal, California will have to rely on several different types of renewable energy sources — and a lot of them. Abundant with natural resources, California’s renewable energy resource arsenal includes wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric facilities.
Sustainability in the water delivery industry by Tony Shiao
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 18, 2011 Comments Off on Sustainability in the water delivery industry by Tony Shiao |For the arid communities of Southern California, the importance of water conservation measures cannot be overstated. In fact, higher water efficiency through conservation measures might be the only way the water-stripped cities can exist sustainably.[i] Water is also a natural commodity; it has to be systematically developed and transported to the municipalities before it can be used. In greater Los Angeles-San Diego area, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has the responsibility of performing the two tasks. MWD was created by the California Legislature in 1969 for the purpose of obtaining potable freshwater from any available source and transporting the water to the cities of Southern California. [ii] MWD sells its water to the various municipal water agencies via a vast network of pipes, pumps, and reservoirs, and these municipal agencies then in turn sell the water to its residents and businesses for everyday usage.
An Alternative to Landfills for Waste Disposal: Plasma Gasification by Adam Adkin
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 18, 2011 Comments Off on An Alternative to Landfills for Waste Disposal: Plasma Gasification by Adam Adkin |Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This motto is at the heart of the waste reduction movement and has been taught to school children throughout the United States since 1970.[i] Waste reduction has seen some success over recent years: in many parts of the United States, simple waste reduction techniques such as recycling, compositing, and using reusable bags have transformed from the environmental practices of a few individuals to the social norm.
Can Portland’s Congestion Pricing Program Lead to Sustainable Transportation? by Kenny Key
Posted by: rohlf@lclark.edu | March 18, 2011 Comments Off on Can Portland’s Congestion Pricing Program Lead to Sustainable Transportation? by Kenny Key |A large part of “greening” built cities has to do with creating more sustainable transportation by shifting current needs and habits away from single-passenger commuting. Modern cities, such as San Francisco, London, Stockholm, and Milan, are increasingly looking into congestion pricing to create market-based incentives for community members to shift their transportation habits.[i] Congestion pricing has been defined as “charging drivers a user fee to drive in specific, congested areas or corridors, and using the revenue generated to fund transportation improvements, such as better transit service, road improvements, and bicycle and pedestrian projects.”[ii] However, these programs do not come without resistance, and fears from the business community.[iii] As Portland and other major cities look for ways to reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation sector, congestion pricing could play a major role in the transportation transformation. This post will examine case studies of cities implementing congestion pricing and analyze Portland’s current action under the requirements of the Jobs and Transportation Act (JTA) which was passed by Oregon’s legislature in 2009.[iv] While Portland has taken positive steps towards congestion pricing, its planned implementation fails to take into account the lessons learned from other cities.
