|
|
|
Upcoming Briefing: Conservation Effectiveness in Watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
A briefing by the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 PM will discuss how conservation programs can be more effective by delving into the specifics of various RCPP projects.
When: Tuesday, July 23, 2:00-3:30 PM
Where: Russell Senate Office Building 188
On June 24, t
he Northeast-Midwest Institute released a report that analyzes the implementation of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in six watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. This assessment of the six projects confirms the vital role of federal funding in initiating or strengthening these collaborations across various sectors from state and local governments to educational institutions, agri-businesses, and environmental organizations.
This briefing is an opportunity to hear from a panel of experts on the current challenges facing federal conservation efforts, how to overcome them, what this new study says about ongoing conservation efforts, and what a more effective conservation regime could look like in the U.S. through the lens of the RCPP.
- Aviva Glaser, Director of Agriculture Policy, National Wildlife Federation
- Professional Staff Representative, Senate Agriculture Committee
- Adam Carpenter, Manager - Energy and Environmental Policy, American Water Works Association
- Dr. Sri Vedachalam, Director of Water, Environmental Policy Innovation Center
- Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel, Northeast-Midwest Institute (moderator)
For more information,
please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. To RSVP, please email events@nemw.org.
|
|
NEMWI and Environmental Law & Policy Center Host Briefing on the Climate Change Impacts on the Great Lakes
The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI) and the Environmental Law and Policy Center (EPLC) co-hosted a Congressional briefing on the impacts of climate change in the Great Lakes region on July 9th. The briefing highlighted a new study released by the EPLC in March that assesses how the shifting global climate impacts the unique Great Lakes region. The report was compiled of existing research and authored by 18 leading scientists and experts from a diverse selection of Midwest and Canadian research institutions. Key areas that the report focuses on include:
- Air temperature increases
- Heavy precipitation and flooding
- Extreme weather
- Urban issues
- Water quality and consumption
- Agriculture, irrigation, and decreased crop yields
- Lake ecology
- Wildlife
- Shipping, power generation and shorelines
- Recreation and beach closures
Kicking off the briefing, Matt McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at NEMWI, welcomed attendees from more than 50 Congressional offices. Next, Howard Lerner, the President and Executive Director of the ELPC, gave staff an overview of the key issues the region faces from climate change, while also introducing the panel of scientists that included: Don Wuebbles from the University of Illinois, Ashish Sharma from the University of Illinois, and Dana Infant from Michigan State University. Each contributed to the report: An Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes.
Wuebbles explained how his recent research motivation started in November 2018 to analyze the peer reviewed literature regarding the knowledge of current projected impacts on the Great Lakes. He immediately found that climate change is already affecting the lakes and adding more challenges to the surrounding weather patterns. In the last 30 years, the temperature has increased 1.4 °F - a concerning and rapid increase about 10x faster than a natural increase. The last ice age was only 15 °F colder than it is now, therefore a 2 °F increase is drastic.
Sharma focused on the changes in the water supply and higher temperatures. The summer water temperature in the Great Lakes has increased over the last six years and it is expected to continuously rise. Agriculture watersheds are already seeing planting delays caused by spring flooding and excessively wet soil conditions. Hotter and drier conditions later in the season have increased the demand for irrigation to mitigate crop losses. Higher temperatures and heat waves will cause poor air quality that can affect children and elderly.
Infant highlighted the ecological changes on the Great Lakes. Her research discovered species areas of habitation are shifting, an increase in invasive species, and harmful algal blooms are increasing in frequency and severity. The large changes in precipitation could increase the nutrient pollution in the Great Lakes, thus harming the ecosystem and water quality. The changing weather and climate conditions will stress the physical infrastructure surrounding the lakes that protects the cities. Additionally, it will threaten indigenous peoples culture, livelihoods, and economies that depend on the Great Lakes.
Learner concluded the briefing with solution suggestions. Some of those solutions included improving energy efficiency within the communities around the Great Lakes, funding research on the impact of climate change on algal blooms, and investing in the Great Lake infrastructure.
The full report can be found
here.
An audio recording of the briefing is available
here.
For more information, please contact Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
U.S.-China Trade Tensions Remain, China's Economic Growth Slows
According to official government figures released on Monday, Chinese economic growth last quarter was the
lowest since 1992
. Growth fell from 6.4% in the first quarter of the year to 6.2% from April to June. This economic downturn has occurred amidst an ongoing trade war with the US, which has seen the two countries place escalating tariffs on each other's goods.
These tensions are likely the main cause of the growth decrease; overall exports fell 1.3% while exports to the US decreased by 8.1%. Furthermore, imports dropped by 7.3% and imports from the US by over 30%. The decrease occurred despite government attempts to stem an economic downturn through a multi-billion dollar
tax cut for businesses and individuals implemented in March.
The disappointing economic news might add pressure on Chinese officials to meet the Trump Administration's trade and intellectual property demands in exchange for resumption of free trade between the two countries, though China has made no indication that it will concede on those points. Since the G20 last month, the countries have maintained a truce and promised further negotiations, but substantive progress has yet to materialize.
Analysts also caution that the Chinese government has a number of tools remaining to mitigate an economic downturn besides a US-China trade agreement, including further fiscal stimulus through tax cuts and easing credit accessibility through the central bank.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
|
|
NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
|
|
|
|
|
