China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Organizational Structure and Resources
Published in Stephen A. Roosa, Arun G. Jhaveri, Carbon Reduction:, 2020
Stephen A. Roosa, Arun G. Jhaveri
In terms of mobilizing internal and external resources for CO2 and GHG emissions reduction, an innovative approach has recently been initiated in California, which is one of the top ten economies of the world with a population of 37 million. The state ranks as the second largest emitter of CO2 in the U.S. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) created the California Institute for Climate Solutions (CICS), whose mission is based on the following fundamental goals:“To facilitate mission-oriented, applied and directed research that results in practical technological solutions. This research should support the development of policies that reduce GHG emissions in the electric and natural gas sectors, or otherwise address the impacts of climate change in California.To speed the transfer, deployment and commercialization of technologies with the potential to reduce GHG emissions in the electric and natural gas sectors.”6
Adapting wastewater management systems in California for water conservation and climate change
Published in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, 2023
Erik Porse, Caitlyn Leo, Erick Eschker, Harold Leverenz, Jonathan Kaplan, John Johnston, Dakota Keene, David Babchanik
Climate change in California will bring many years with hotter and drier conditions, likely spurring water use reductions and further regulations (Diffenbaugh, Swain, & Touma, 2015; Pierce, Kalansky, & Cayan, 2018; Swain, Baird Langenbrunner, Hall, et al., 2018). Given likely future scenarios, research must critically examine adaptation needs and pathways for existing aging infrastructure systems such as wastewater. Wastewater infrastructure systems are subject to path dependence, meaning that once built and operating, they are expensive to change (David, 1985; Liebowitz & Margolis, 1995). Yet, limited research has examined how past planning assumptions in the wastewater sector influence adaptation options today, or what actions wastewater managers are currently pursuing to deal with contemporary or future challenges. This study evaluates current adaptation pathways that wastewater systems in California are using to manage challenges of water scarcity and conservation. The study investigates two questions. First, are wastewater facilities experiencing challenges from mismatches in design flow values and current influent flow rates? Second, what, if any, actions are local agencies pursuing (or planning to pursue) to manage wastewater given water use declines and likely higher risk of drought?