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Climate Change

Selected Research, Commentary and Congressional Testimony

Alternative Fossil Fuels Have Economic Potential but Uncertain Environmental Consequences — Oct. 8, 2008

Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered.

Full DocumentNews ReleaseEnergy and Environment Research Area

Thirteen Short-Term Strategies Address Traffic Congestion in Urban Los Angeles — Oct. 2, 2008

A comprehensive look at Los Angeles traffic debunks common myths about the metropolitan region's traffic patterns and details the reasons why congestion is so bad — and why it will get worse in the coming years without significant policy changes.

Full DocumentNews ReleaseResearch BriefTransportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Public Investment in Rail Capacity Expansion May Be Justified but Strategy Needed — Aug. 19, 2008

The volume of freight transported in the United States is expected to double over the next 30 years. Greater use of rail freight could allow the supply chain to accommodate this increase while minimizing highway congestion and reducing fuel consumption.

Full DocumentTransportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Major Technology Progress Needed for 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use to Be Affordable — Jun. 24, 2008

Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs.

Full DocumentNews ReleaseEnergy and Environment Research Area

Identifying & Reducing Climate-Change Vulnerabilities in Water-Management Plans — Jan. 31, 2008

Climate change will affect water supplies in California, but few water-management agencies have formally included it in their plans. Robust decisionmaking methods can help identify vulnerabilities related to climate change and evaluate the most effective options for managing those risks.

Full DocumentResearch BriefRelated ReportRelated ReportEnergy and Environment Research Area

Estimating the Value of Water-Use Efficiency in the Intermountain West — Jan. 10, 2008

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of water-efficiency programs can be difficult, because not all the benefits are easily quantified. An economic framework based on two tools from the California Urban Water Conservation Council helps estimate the avoided costs and environmental benefits of increasing water-use efficiency.

Full DocumentRelated ReportRelated ReportEnergy and Environment Research Area

On Carbon Dioxide, a Better Alternative — Nov. 29, 2007

Instead of the complicated "cap-and-trade" system to reduce carbon emissions proposed in current congressional legislation, a tax on carbon dioxide refunded directly to individuals would cut emissions while cushioning the impact on the pocketbooks of American families, write Keith Crane and James Bartis.

CommentaryEnergy and Environment Research Area

A New Analytic Method for Finding Policy-Relevant Scenarios — Jul. 9, 2007

Scenarios play a prominent role in policy debates over climate change, but questions continue about how best to use them. A new analytic method, based on robust decisionmaking, can be applied to water resource management in California and climate change policy questions.

Full DocumentEnergy and Environment Research Area

Policy Issues for Coal-to-Liquid Development — May 24, 2007

In testimony presented before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, James T. Bartis discusses the key problems and policy issues associated with developing a domestic coal-to-liquids industry.

Full DocumentAddendum