Policy

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A New Approach

Thu, 2014-07-31 15:57 — WDS1200-Columbus

I would like to share the results of my research, thinking and writing with the U. S. Resilience System in the hopes that its viewers can incorporate some of it into their own work. I also hope to receive feedback so I can improve my ideas.

My background is in city and regional planning. More recently it has expanded to include futures research. I believe that the much-needed resilience many of us are seeking can best be achieved if we are working on immediate plans and actions plus long-range plans and actions at the same time. Immediate or short-term actions are seldom sufficient by themselves.

Resilience to the wide variety of critical problems and uncertainties we expect to face this century requires systemic changes in our country and world. It requires changes in the way we think, act, organize and communicate, and in what and where we build. We slowly build our man-made environment to fit our needs and then our man-made environment shapes and controls us for many decades - even after our needs have changed.

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Disaster Risk Reduction

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California to Impose Fines Up to $500 a Day for Wasting Water

Thu, 2014-07-17 16:47 — Kathy Gilbeaux

A jogger runs by a sprinkler that is partially watering a sidewalk in Golden Gate Park on July 15, 2014 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

cbsnews.com - AP - July 16, 2014

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Reservoirs are running dry, the Capitol's lawn has turned brown, and farmers have left hundreds of thousands of acres unplanted.

Even so, many Californians aren't taking the drought seriously. State water regulators are trying to change that by imposing fines up to $500 a day for wasting water.

The State Water Resources Control Board acted Tuesday amid warnings that conditions could get worse if it doesn't rain this winter.

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US - West

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Policy

Water

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North Texas City Rejects Partial Fracking Ban

Wed, 2014-07-16 17:48 — Kathy Gilbeaux

A vote projected on a large video screen above the city council shows unanimous approval to send a citizen-led petition to a public ballot scheduled for November, Wednesday, in Denton, Texas. TONY GUTIERREZ — AP

abcnews.go.com - AP - by Emily Schmall - July 16, 2014

The council governing a North Texas city that sits atop a large natural gas reserve rejected a bid early Wednesday that would have made it the first city in the state to ban further permitting of hydraulic fracturing in the community.

Denton City Council members voted down the petition 5-2 after eight hours of public testimony, sending the proposal to a public ballot in November.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/07/15/5973163/denton-fracking-ban-hearing-draws.html?rh=1

(ALSO SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN RELATED ARTICLES WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW)

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US - South

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Energy

Policy

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Problem

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House Passes Homeland Security Legislation on Chemical Facility Security, Border Security and Emergency Communications

Wed, 2014-07-09 21:22 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Albert Gomez

homeland.house.gov - July 8, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4007, H.R. 4263, H.R. 4289 and H.R. 3488 - bipartisan legislation to enhance the security of chemical facilities and ports of entry and improve emergency communications.

Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX): “The ability of our first responders to communicate with each other and with the public during a terrorist attack or natural disaster is imperative. I am pleased the House passed H.R. 4263 and H.R. 4289 to ensure that our first responders are able to communicate with each other via interoperable communications systems and with the public via social media during times of crisis.

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United States

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Communication

Disaster Response

Disaster Risk Reduction

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Americans by 2 to 1 Would Pay More to Curb Climate Change

Wed, 2014-06-18 00:34 — Kathy Gilbeaux

The U.S. Capitol Building stands past the natural gas and coal fueled Capitol Power Plant, which provides heating and cooling throughout the 23 facilities on Capitol Hill including House and Senate Office Buildings, in Washington, D.C. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

bloomberg.com - by Lisa Lerer - June 10, 2014

Americans are willing to bear the costs of combating climate change, and most are more likely to support a candidate seeking to address the issue.

By an almost two-to-one margin, 62 percent to 33 percent, Americans say they would pay more for energy if it would mean a reduction in pollution from carbon emissions, according to the Bloomberg National Poll.

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United States

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Climate

Policy

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Other

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House Directs Pentagon To Ignore Climate Change

Sat, 2014-05-24 17:05 — Kathy Gilbeaux

huffingtonpost.com - by Kate Sheppard - May 23, 2014

WASHINGTON -- The House passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill on Thursday that would bar the Department of Defense from using funds to assess climate change and its implications for national security.

The amendment, from Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), passed in what was nearly a party-line vote. . . The bill aims to block the DOD from taking any significant action related to climate change or its potential consequences.

CLICK HERE - Amendment from Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) - (1 page .PDF file)

CLICK HERE - Bill Text - H.R. 4435

CLICK HERE - Final Vote Results - H.R. 4435 - May 22, 2014

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H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act

Fri, 2014-04-18 11:53 — Maeryn Obley

energycommerce.house.gov - April 4th, 2014

In response to Russia’s recent aggression and DOE’s slow export approval process, Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced H.R. 6 to expedite exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to our allies.

H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, provides that all pending LNG export applications for which a notice has been published in the Federal Register as of March 6, 2014, will be granted without delay.

The legislation also modifies the standard of review for future export applications, shifting the benchmark from Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries to World Trade Organization (WTO) members.

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Farm Bill Passes House With $8 Billion in Food-Stamp Cuts

Fri, 2014-01-31 18:02 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Cotton harvesting in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana on Oct. 10, 2013. The farm bill governs farm subsidies, which encourages planting of soybeans, cotton and other crops. Photographer: Ty Wright/Bloomberg

bloomberg.com - by Alan Bjerga - January 29, 2014

The U.S. House passed and sent the Senate a much-delayed bill to set agricultural policy for five years, as rural Republicans and urban Democrats overcame objections about farm subsidies and food-stamp cuts.

. . . The bill would cut food-stamp spending by $8.6 billion over 10 years, though additions to other programs bring nutrition-aid cuts down to $8 billion -- one-fifth of the $40 billion sought by Republicans and fought by Democrats and food retailers. The reduction would equal about 1 percent of the program’s record $79.6 billion in spending for the budget year that ended Sept. 30.

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Environmental groups say Obama needs to address climate change more aggressively

Mon, 2014-01-20 14:03 — Maeryn Obley

The new pressure from both sides could have an impact on critical permitting decisions on issues ranging from the Keystone XL pipeline to natural gas exports and federal coal leases. Nati Harnik/AP

Image: The new pressure from both sides could have an impact on critical permitting decisions on issues ranging from the Keystone XL pipeline to natural gas exports and federal coal leases. Nati Harnik/AP

washingtonpost.com - January 16th, 2014 - Juliet Eilperin and Lenny Bernstein

A group of the nation’s leading environmental organizations is breaking with the administration over its energy policy, arguing that the White House needs to apply a strict climate test to all of its energy decisions or risk undermining one of the president’s top second-term priorities.

The rift — reflected in a letter sent to President Obama by 18 groups, including the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund and Earthjustice — signals that the administration is under pressure to confront the fossil-fuel industry or risk losing support from a critical part of its political base during an already difficult election year.

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