Renewable Energy 2007

I would like to highlight another resource from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), thanks to a post from the UN Pulse blog. UNEP has started a new series on renewable energy named, predictably, Renewables. This publication contains information on policies, types of energies, and statistics. For example, did you know that the US added the most wind power in 2006? Germany still wins, but the US is now tied for second place for the largest capacity of wind power (this data is from tables on page 9).

Want to know more about energy and alternative fuels? Check out the library's guide.

GAO Releases this week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as aviation, Homeland Security, FEMA, and hedge funds. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Aviation Weather: FAA Is Reevaluating Services at Key Centers; Both FAA and the National Weather Service Need to Better Ensure Product Quality. GAO-08-258, January 11.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-258
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08258high.pdf
  
• Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA's Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements. GAO-08-22, February 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-22
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0822high.pdf
• Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD And VA Need to Improve Efforts to Identify and Notify Individuals Potentially Exposed during Chemical and Biological Tests. GAO-08-366, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-366
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08366high.pdf
• Federal Real Property: Strategy Needed to Address Agencies' Long-standing Reliance on Costly Leasing. GAO-08-197, January 24.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-197
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08197high.pdf
  
• Federal Workers' Compensation: Better Data and Management Strategies Would Strengthen Efforts to Prevent and Address Improper Payments. GAO-08-284, February 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-284
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08284high.pdf
  
• Foreign Investment: Laws and Policies Regulating Foreign Investment in 10 Countries. GAO-08-320, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-320
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08320high.pdf
• Hedge Funds: Regulators and Market Participants Are Taking Steps to Strengthen Market Discipline, but Continued Attention Is Needed. GAO-08-200, January 24.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-200
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08200high.pdf
  
• Medicare Advantage: Increased Spending Relative to Medicare Fee-for-Service May Not Always Reduce Beneficiary Out-of-Pocket Costs. GAO-08-359, February 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-359
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08359high.pdf
• National Disaster Response: FEMA Should Take Action to Improve Capacity and Coordination between Government and Voluntary Sectors. GAO-08-369, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-369
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08369high.pdf
  
• State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Funded Status of Pension and Health Benefits. GAO-08-223, January 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-223
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08223high.pdf
  

Testimony

• Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration Has Strengthened Planning to Guide Investments in Key Aviation Security Programs, but More Work Remains, by Cathleen A. Berrick, director, homeland security and justice issues, and Gregory C. Wilshusen, director, information security issues, before the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO-08-456T, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-456T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08456thigh.pdf
• Aviation Weather: Services at Key Aviation Facilities Lack Performance Measures, but Improvement Efforts Are Under Way, by David A. Powner, director, information technology management issues, before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, House Committee on Science and Technology. GAO-08-491T, February 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-491T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08491thigh.pdf
  
• Defense Acquisitions: Assessment of DOD Efforts to Enhance Missile Defense Capabilities and Oversight, by Paul L. Francis, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Defense, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO-08-506T, February 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-506T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08506thigh.pdf
  
• DOD and VA: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Improve Care Management and Disability Evaluations for Servicemembers, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security; and John H. Pendleton, acting director, health care, before the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-08-514T, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-514T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08514thigh.pdf
• Federal Acquisition: Oversight Plan Needed to Help Implement Acquisition Advisory Panel's Recommendations, by John P. Hutton, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-08-515T, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-515T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08515thigh.pdf
  
• Intelligence Reform: GAO Can Assist the Congress and the Intelligence Community on Management Reform Initiatives, by David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-08-413T, February 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-413T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08413thigh.pdf
• Medicare Advantage: Higher Spending Relative to Medicare Fee-for-Service May Not Ensure Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Beneficiaries, by James Cosgrove, acting director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-08-522T, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-522T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08522thigh.pdf
• Personnel Clearances: Key Factors to Consider in Efforts to Reform Security Clearance Processes, by Brenda S. Farrell, director, defense capabilities and management, before the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. GAO-08-352T, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-352T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08352thigh.pdf
  
• Postal Reform Law: Early Transition Is Promising, but Challenges to Successful Implementation Remain, by Katherine A. Siggerud, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-08-503T, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-503T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08503thigh.pdf
• Secure Border Initiative: Observations on the Importance of Applying Lessons Learned to Future Projects, by Richard M. Stana, director, homeland security and justice issues, before a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism, and the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-08-508T, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-508T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08508thigh.pdf
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Options to Improve the Cost-Effectiveness of Filling the Reserve, by Franklin W. Rusco, acting director, natural resources and environment, before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. GAO-08-521T, February 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-521T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08521thigh.pdf
  
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Hiring Efforts Are Not Sufficient to Reduce the Patent Application Backlog, by Robin M. Nazzaro, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, House Committee on the Judiciary. GAO-08-527T, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-527T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08527thigh.pdf
  
• Visa Waiver Program: Limitations with Department of Homeland Security's Plan to Verify Departure of Foreign Nationals, by Jess T. Ford, director, international affairs and trade, before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security, Senate Committee on the Judiciary. GAO-08-458T, February 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-458T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08458thigh.pdf

Correspondence

• The Judgment Fund: Status of Reimbursements Required by the No FEAR Act and Contract Disputes Act. GAO-08-295R, February 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-295R
  
• Transportation Safety: Medical Certification and Background Check Requirements for Pilots, Vessel Masters, and Commercial Drivers Vary. GAO-08-421R, February 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-421R

1 in 100 Adults behind bars

Using Department of Justice statistics, the Pew Center on the States determined that 1 in 100 adults in the United States is in prison. You can view the report "One in 100: Behind the Bars in America 2008" or go to the Bureau of Justice Statistics web site to view the raw data.

Want to read up on the report? Check out the New York Times article "1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars, New Study Says."

Interested in additional justice information? Check out the library's guides.

Global Seed Vault Opens in Norway

Norway's Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened for business today. The vault is a crop backup system in the event of a global disaster. The "fail-safe" vault will store duplicate seed samples from national collections in an effort to protect worldwide crop diversity. Built into the mountainside near Longyearbyen, Svalbard (a territory of Norway), the vault is surrounded by permafrost and designed to protect the seeds from wars and natural disasters. The Global Crop Diversity Trust is responsible for collecting samples and maintaining the vault.

Check out the statement on the opening of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault from Norway's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg.

Check out these stories from the Norwegian government, UN organizations, and the U.S. government:

• Prime Minister Stoltenberg opens Svalbard Seed Vault from the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister
• Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Arctic Seed Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds from the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food
• FAO applauds the opening of seed vault in Norway from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• ARS Contributes Seeds to Global Storage Vault in Norway from U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service (ARS)
  

Want more information? Read 'Doomsday' Seed Vault Opens in Arctic from the Washington Post, Svalbard Global Seed Vault from The Norway Post, and 'Doomsday' vault opens its doors from BBC News.

Check out the library's guides on agriculture and food supply for more information. You might also want to check out the library's guide on Norway.

Congressional Research Service discoveries

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us CRS reports on the Poland, genetics, taxes, and much more. While these reports are in the public domain there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your Senator or Representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by Secrecy News and OpenCRS:

• Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2007
• The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
• Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations
• U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Techniques
• Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons
• Securing General Aviation
• U.S. Nuclear Weapons: Changes in Policy and Force Structure
• Nuclear Arms Control: The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty
• Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power
• Estate Tax Legislation in the 110th Congress
• Largest Mergers and Acquisitions by Corporations in 2007
• Genetic Exceptionalism: Genetic Information and Public Policy
• European Union U.S. Trade and Investment Relations: Key Issues
• Kenya: The December 2007 Elections and the Challenges Ahead
• Constitutional Issues Relating to Proposals for Legislation to Impose an Interest Rate Freeze/Reduction on Existing Mortgages
• The Executive Schedule IV Pay Cap on General Schedule Compensation
• Poland's New Government: Background and Issues for the United States
• The Alternative Minimum Tax For Individuals: Legislative Activity in the 110th Congress
• Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers: Current Issues and Legislation
• Federal Pollution Control Laws: How Are They Enforced?
• Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: New Independent Agency Status
• Constitutional Limits on Hate Crime Legislation
• FDA Fast Track and Priority Review Programs

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.