The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Congress. Click on the graphics to enlarge them. Summary The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. RGGI involves nine states—Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The RGGI cap-and-trade system applies only to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electric power plants with capacities to generate 25 megawatts or more—approximately 168 facilities. The RGGI emissions cap took effect January 1, 2009, based on an agreement signed by RGGI governors in 2005. The results of the RGGI program may be instructive to policymakers. Several of RGGI’s design elements generated considerable interest during the development and debate of federal proposals to address GHG emissions. In particular, the program’s emissions cap has received particular attention. When the original cap took effect in 2009, it did not compel regulated entities to make internal emission reductions or purchase emission credits from other sources. Several factors led to this outcome: RGGI’s cap design, an economic downturn, and a substantial shift to less carbon intensive fuels. For instance, in 2005, RGGI states generated 33% of…

Scientists at the University of York have revealed that the 1976 drought is the worst extreme event to affect butterflies and moths in the 50 years since detailed records began.
The summer of 1976 saw standpipes in the streets and billions of seven-spot ladybirds swarming in search of food.
Since then, the UK has warmed by a full degree Celsius and experienced numerous bouts of extreme weather, from heavy rainfall and flooding to heatwaves and drought; yet no single year has caused so many butterfly and moth species to crash simultaneously.
"It was the culmination of a two-year event."
said Dr Phil Platts, Postdoctoral Research Associate in York’s Department of Biology and co-author of the study.
"Hot and dry conditions stretched back to the spring of 1975.
The study also looked at the impact of extreme weather on birds, determining that the cold winter of 1981-82 had the biggest effect on their numbers.
"This seems to be truer of short-lived species that can multiply rapidly, like butterflies and moths, than of the birds we studied."
said Professor Tom Brereton, co-author and Head of Monitoring at Butterfly Conservation.
However, global warming is projected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and drought, and it is likely that some of these will generate even greater population changes than we have seen so far.

Increases in climate variability have placed new emphasis on the need for resilient wheat varieties.
Therefore, the identification of potential breeding targets to create climate-resilient, nutritionally improved wheat varieties is of particular interest.
Fructans are carbohydrates found in many plants, including wheat, which serve physiological roles in both plants and humans.
And fructan consumption by humans promotes improved health through modulation of gut health.
Fructan content of wheat grain varies by genotype, however, the utility of fructans as a breeding target to develop climate resilience, nutritious wheat varieties has not been examined.
A paper recently published in Crop Science examines connections between fructans in wheat plants, wheat-based food products, and impacts of fructan consumption on human health.
Implementation of breeding for increased wheat fructans will likely result in the development of climate-resilient varieties with increased nutritional value.
Story Source: Materials provided by American Society of Agronomy.
Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:

The summer of 1976 saw standpipes in the streets and billions of seven-spot ladybirds swarming in search of food.
It was the hottest English summer since records began over 350 years ago – the mercury topped 32 °C for 15 consecutive days across much of southern England, and some regions received no rain for 45 days straight.
Since then, the UK has warmed by a full degree Celsius and experienced numerous bouts of extreme weather, from heavy rainfall and flooding to heatwaves and drought; yet no single year has caused so many butterfly and moth species to crash simultaneously.
"It was the culmination of a two-year event."
said Dr Phil Platts, Postdoctoral Research Associate in York’s Department of Biology and co-author of the study.
This was initially good for butterflies and moths, and their numbers boomed.
The study also looked at the impact of extreme weather on birds, determining that the cold winter of 1981-82 had the biggest effect on their numbers.
"This seems to be truer of short-lived species that can multiply rapidly, like butterflies and moths, than of the birds we studied."
However, global warming is projected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and drought, and it is likely that some of these will generate even greater population changes than we have seen so far.
Professor Chris Thomas, senior author in York’s Department of Biology, said: "If we want to avoid a future super-heated drought that will put 1976 in the shade, then we need to address the root cause of climate warming – greenhouse gas emissions.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: BBID-backed water reform bill passes Assembly; New infographic on water use and efficiency in the Sacramento region; State Lands Commission publishes Huntington Beach desal project enviro docs.
BBID-Backed Water Reform Bill Passes Assembly From the Byron Bethany Irrigation District: On Tuesday, the California State Assembly overwhelmingly passed a major water bill backed by Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID).
Assembly Bill 313, introduced earlier this year by Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) to reestablish balance and fairness for California’s water rights holders, was passed with an initial 55-0 vote.
AB 313 balances the scales.” The bill establishes a new water rights management structure, creating a new Water Rights Division in the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) to handle all water rights matters.
Regional Water Authority Releases New Infographic on Water Use and Efficiency in the Sacramento Region From the Sacramento Regional Water Authority: Water Authority has released a new infographic highlighting water use and efficiency progress in the Sacramento region since 2000.
The infographic can be found on RWA’s Web site at http://rwah2o.org/water-efficiency/ State Lands Commission Publishes Huntington Beach Desalination Project Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report From Poseidon Water: Today, Poseidon Water announced that the California State Lands Commission (SLC) has published the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR) that analyzes the new seawater intake and discharge technology enhancements for Poseidon Water’s proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Pr; oject (the Project).
“On behalf of Poseidon Water, we want to thank the California State Lands Commission staff for their effort in preparing the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report,” said Scott Maloni, Vice President of Poseidon Water.
The SLC is now supplementing the 2010 report with additional analysis of the new seawater intake and discharge technology enhancements proposed by Poseidon to demonstrate compliance with the State Water Board’s recently adopted seawater desalination regulations.
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——————— About News Worth Noting: News Worth Noting is a collection of press releases, media statements, and other materials produced by federal, state, and local government agencies, water agencies, and academic institutions, as well as non-profit and advocacy organizations.

Unusually Wet Conditions Bring Drought Relief To Montana.
Drought is not expected to be a major factor this year in Montana.
Here’s something Montanans don’t frequently hear this time of year: “It’s very unusual for most of Montana to be as wet as it is at this point," says National Weather Service Meteorologist Bruce Bauck.
Bauck’s echoing the encouraging news recently delivered by the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee: “Last October we had record rains in northwest Montana.
We had way above-normal rainfall in central Montana.
This last winter we had normal to above-normal snowpack almost everywhere – even in the valleys.
We’ve put a lot of moisture in the ground.
We’ve really charged the ground well.
We have a lot of water in the system right now.” Until recently Butte and Anaconda were slightly drier than normal, but that’s changed: “Because of late spring snowfall.
But barring any significant rain storms, meteorologist Bruce Bauck isn’t expecting any major floods this spring.

BLOG ROUND-UP: Trump’s water solutions, Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan amendments, Water well bill, Increasing salmon runs, River management in the Anthropocene, Whiter WOTUS, and more ….
… ” Read more from Restore the Delta here: Delta Stewardship Council stalls vote on Delta Plan amendments California’s water well bill will tell us who is tapping depleted groundwater basins: Juliet Christian-Smith writes, “Groundwater is a shared resource between communities and landowners, much like a joint bank account is a shared resource between individuals.
At the same time, there were a million more Central Valley salmon being harvested each year in sport and commercial fisheries along the coast and in the rivers of the Central Valley.
… ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog here: How do we increase salmon runs in 2017?
Although the report at first blush appears to be very pessimistic, a closer read reveals a more optimistic view that “most of these fishes can continue to persist if appropriate actions are taken.” The authors have stated that they “are optimistic that positive change is imminent and that if the solutions are fully implemented, many of the species reviewed in the…report will thrive in the future.” Importantly, “the time to act is now” according to CalTrout.
… ” Read more from the NCWA blog here: The time to act is now!
Efforts to restore fish passage and river habitats over the past several decades have paid off quite remarkably, but those efforts are now in jeopardy due to the recent drought and impending changes in water management in the Central Valley and Butte Creek.
… ” Read more from the California Fisheries blog here: Butte Creek spring run chinook salmon Water rights adjudication, Utah style: John Fleck writes, “Here in New Mexico, in the relatively populous Middle Rio Grande Valley, we have no expectation that water rights – the legal question of who is entitled to the use of how much water – will ever be clearly determined, at least not in the lifetimes of anyone involved in water management today.
Dan Farber writes, “President Trump ordered EPA and the Army Corps to review the Obama Administration’s WOTUS rule, which sets expansive bounds on federal jurisdiction over water bodies and wetlands.
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Josh Newton’s Water Jobs & More – 30 May 2017.
All things freshwater: news, analysis, humor, reviews, and commentary from Michael E. ‘Aquadoc’ Campana, hydrogeologist, hydrophilanthropist, Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management in the Geography Program of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) at Oregon State University, Emeritus Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of New Mexico, Past President of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) and Past Chair of the Scientists & Engineers Division of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).
He is President of the nonprofit NGWA Foundation and the nonprofit Ann Campana Judge Foundation, an organization involved with WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Central America.
He serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP).
CYA statement: with the exception of guest posts, the opinions expressed herein are solely those of Michael E. Campana and not those of CEOAS, Oregon State University, ACJF, AWRA, NGWA, GWP, my spouse Mary Frances, or any other person or organization.

That’s less than half of the long-term average of 6.8 percent.
Turnaround advisers typically restructure operations or management, while investment banks like Evercore Partners Inc., Houlihan Lokey Inc. or Lazard Ltd. are better known for addressing capital structures and balance sheets.
At FTI, which has listed RadioShack, Peabody Energy and Hostess as clients, the restructuring unit in the first quarter earned less than a third of what it produced in the same period last year.
Keeping Busy “If I’ve got really good people, I’ve got to go bust my tail and get them busy, because I want these people here for the next boom” in restructurings, Gunby said on an April call with investors.
In the meantime, they’re staying busy with more preemptive mandates for companies looking to address problems before they’re teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Donahue said.
It’s something companies do even if their credit is investment-grade.
PJT told investors its backlog increased in the first quarter, and that while energy is “less frenzied,” activity is picking up in power, retail, healthcare, shipping and the technology-media-telecommunications sectors.
Retail has already seen more bankruptcies in the first few months of this year than in all of 2016, and more are likely to come, according to AlixPartners.
“Many Chapter 11 filings have been small, middle-market cases,” Eisenband said.
That may bode well for the advisers who are lunching and schmoozing their way through today’s distressed drought; the financial crisis followed just a few years later.

President Moon Jae-in’s move to reverse the effects of a controversial damming and dredging project has run into an unexpected snag: South Korea may be entering one of the most severe droughts in decades.
The water levels of the dammed pools will gradually drop by 2-3 centimeters per hour from 2 p.m. on Thursday, officials from the environment and land ministries said in a joint press briefing Monday.
Some experts and farmers expressed concerns that the timing could not be more wrong.
As of the end of May, the country saw an accumulated precipitation of 161.1 milliliters, only half the usual level of 292.7 mm.
“The release of water from only six dammed pools and lowering the water level by up to 1.25 meters will do very little to improve the water quality or remove algae,” the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements said in a statement.
Along with the immediate release of water from the dammed pools, Moon ordered the execution of a drought countermeasure plan in advance.
“Drought countermeasures must not be a temporary plan, but should fundamentally tackle the serious drought problem here,” Moon was quoted as saying.
When rice planting season ends, the government will further lower the water level by 50-100 centimeters in October and open all dammed pools to the lowest limit by the end of 2018, Cheong Wa Dae said.
“In an effort to restore the environment in the rivers through a comprehensive and considerate analysis, the opening of another 10 pools will be decided depending on the outcome of future studies on their impact on the ecosystem,” said Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Soo-hyun.
Cheong Wa Dae said ministries and a related task force will monitor water levels to effectively deal with problems following the opening of dams.