Federal Water Tap, December 2: U.S. Agencies Inaugurate Satellite Data Program for Central America

Federal Water Tap, December 2: U.S. Agencies Inaugurate Satellite Data Program for Central America

The Rundown

U.S. oil production hit a record monthly high in August.
CBO forecasts an 8 percent decline in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade.
Defense Department will host its annual conference on environmental research and innovation this week.
USAID and NASA will launch a program in Central America this week to provide the region with satellite data for environmental monitoring.

And lastly, President Biden signs a coastal ecosystem protection act into law.

“Low-lying states, like my home state of Delaware, are particularly vulnerable to the devastation wreaked by extreme weather and storms. As climate change continues to fuel stronger hurricanes and other extreme weather events, we must do more to protect our coastal communities from its costly impacts.” – Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) in a press release discussing the BEACH Act, which President Biden signed into law on November 25.

By the Numbers

13.4 Million Barrels Per Day: U.S. crude oil production in August 2024, a new monthly record, according to the Energy Information Administration. The U.S. is the world’s top crude oil producer, and the EIA expects annual output in 2024 also to set a record.

News Briefs

BEACH Act Signed
President Biden signed a bill that provides more federal support for coastal ecosystem protection.

The BEACH Act adds 290,000 acres to a 3.5 million acre coastal reserve system that prevents federal funding for development projects.

Studies and Reports

GHG Forecasting
The Congressional Budget Office expects in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to decline 8 percent from 2025 to 2034, according to a new forecast.

The CBO uses the emissions forecast as a baseline against which policy changes, such as carbon pricing, can be measured. Most of the projected decline comes from a decrease in energy-related emissions, the largest source. Agriculture-related emissions, on the other hand, are expected to rise slightly.

On the Radar

Environmental Data for Central America
SERVIR, an initiative of America’s space and foreign aid agencies, provides satellite and remote sensing data to help countries monitor and manage their environment.

The program, which will be based out of Costa Rica’s Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, will have its official launch on December 3.

It will generate data on biodiversity, water resources, weather patterns, forest fires, crop yields, and drought.

In context: New Satellite Will See Water’s Big Picture

Defense Environmental Conference
The Defense Department’s environmental research agency will host its annual “innovation symposium” from December 3 to 6, in Washington, D.C.

The agenda includes sessions on PFAS remediation in soil and groundwater; climate and water risk assessment for DOD infrastructure; biodiversity conservation on military lands; and non-PFAS firefighting products.

Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

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Publish date : 2024-12-01 22:33:00

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