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Reflections on “Yes they can control the weather.”

Legal Planet

By far the most ambitious activities and the most expansive claims are in China, where weather modification schemes came to international attention when they were used to clear the skies over Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. Modeling and predicting the climate is a lot more feasible than doing the same for the weather. Download as PDF

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We Can Think Bigger about Democracy

Union of Concerned Scientists

They introduced a similar bill last session, and the legislation has the public support of more than 170 political scientists who submitted a public letter of support to the House of Representatives. And this public sentiment isnt off base: political scientists agree our democracy is backsliding. According to Reps.

Politics 300
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What’s Been Killing U.S. Coal?

Legal Planet

It then tread water for a few years and began a steep decline in 2008, going from half of U.S. Since around 2008, natural gas use has been the mirror image of coal use. But the growth of f racking began in earnest around 2008, and it drove down the price of gas. Politically, what has happened to coal jobs may be more salient.

2012 278
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Climate Policy and the Audacity of Hope

Legal Planet

Wind power costs fell by half from 2008 to 2021. The Department of Energy estimates the cost of an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack declined 89% between 2008 and 2022. The resulting economic growth also helps create a stronger political base for aggressive expansion of clean energy.

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How Bad Ballot Design Can Impact Election Outcomes—And What We Can Do 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Standing in the voting booth, I asked myself how it was possible that someone like me, who has devoted my career to studying political science and elections and who does research ahead of time, was encountering such difficulties just trying to cast my vote? times higher than the rest of the state in 2008 and five times higher in 2010.

2008 274
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New Satellite Will See Water’s Big Picture

Circle of Blue

How SWOT will influence the political balance of power is a question that Faisal Hossain is tasked with understanding. Political sensitivities are an important consideration. Hossain joined the team in 2008. And data about water is occasionally guarded as a matter of national security.

Ocean 351
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Germany’s Role in Climate Policy

Legal Planet

My foray into Germany climate policy left me with unanswered questions: What was the politics behind Germany’s history of climate action? Renewables are 6% of power. Renewable Energy Act sets fixed feed-in tariffs and gives renewables priority on the grid. New rates are large enough to spark expansion of renewable industry.