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Healthy, Fair, and Profitable: A Win-Win Pesticide Policy

This report released by the Pacific Institute and the California Green Scissors project makes the case for changing the way pesticides are regulated in California.

Creating a Framework for Sustainability in California: Lessons Learned from the New Zealand Experience

New Zealand’s attempt to integrate environmental protection and resource management with a “goals-based” policy framework can help serve as a guide for California as it continues to grapple with resource scarcity.

Op-Ed: Don’t Drill the Arctic: Renewable Energy is Safer, Cleaner, More Secure

The terror attacks of September 11 have brought the vulnerabilities of modern America into stunning relief. Our airports, airplanes and office buildings were far more open to attack then most imagined. And, according to many policy makers and scientists, so is our oil-based economy.

Threats to the World’s Freshwater Resources

As we move into the 21st century, water managers and policymakers must face new threats to the world's freshwater resources.

Defining Transparency: Expectations and Obstacles

The proceedings of a recent workshop jointly hosted by the Pacific Institute and the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) are now available.

Op-Ed: A Proposal to Preserve and Enhance Habitat at the Salton Sea

Recent discussions and legislative efforts at the state and federal level have again focused attention on the Salton Sea. These recent discussions, on the potential impacts on the Salton Sea of a proposed water transfer from Imperial Valley to the San Diego area, have highlighted the challenges faced by those working to address the current and future problems of the Sea, and the inadequacy of any temporary or piecemeal approach.

Missing Water: The Uses and Flows of Water in the Colorado River Delta Region

This report represents the first time comprehensive flow data was compiled for the entire Colorado River Delta region.

A New Vigilance: Identifying and Reducing the Risks of Environmental Terrorism

As the global population increases, the world’s existing resources  -- water, energy, soil, and more -- are being consumed at an increasing rate.

The National Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Variability and Change

The National Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Variability and Change was a groundbreaking attempt to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the United States.

The World’s Water, Volume 2

The second volume of The World’s Water contains new chapters on global water use projections, international river basins, the complex connections between water and food production, desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, and the legal issues around a human right to water.

Brownfields Redevelopment: Meeting the Challenges of Community Participation

Brownfields are the abandoned or idled commercial and industrial properties that dot our urban and rural landscapes. They often remain unused because of real or perceived contamination, liability risks, and the costs of cleanup.

Comments on the Salton Sea Restoration Project

This document contains comments submitted by the Pacific Institute on the Salton Sea Restoration Project and on the January 2000 draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (DEIS) and supporting documents.

Managing a Better Environment: Opportunities and Obstacles for ISO 14001 in Public Policy and Commerce

Environmental policy is in transition. Many observers believe that the existing regulatory system, though it has accomplished great improvements in environmental quality, is approaching the limits of its effectiveness.

Colorado River Surplus Criteria Proposal

At its upper reaches, the Delta is dominated by vegetation such as cottonwoods and willows, offering more than twice the amount of native riparian habitat found in the entire reach of the river in the United States from Hoover Dam to Morelos Dam. 

ISO Proceedings

On July 29, 1999, the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security hosted a half-day workshop entitled Security ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems and Public Policy.

Basic Water Requirements for Human Activities: Meeting Basic Needs

An understanding of basic human water needs is key to ensuring fair and sustainable water supply.

Haven or Hazard: The Ecology and Future of the Salton Sea

California's Salton Sea is a fertile oasis in the hostile desert of south-eastern California. It has been adopted by millions of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway and also attracts human anglers and boaters

The Human Right to Water

More than a billion people in the developing world lack safe drinking water – an amenity those in the developed world take for granted.

Sustainable Use of Water: California Water Success Stories

The intense political and legal battles that have characterized California water policy throughout the 20th century have not ended—nor are they likely to end in the near future. But unexpectedly, with little fanfare or attention, California is moving toward more sustainable water management and use.

The World’s Water, Volume 1

The first volume of The World’s Water (1998-1999) includes chapters on the changing global paradigm for water management and use, the environmental implications of large dams, possible consequences of climate change, and the links between water resources and conflict.

The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico.

California Water 2020: A Sustainable Vision

Every day, California wastes water in each sector of the the state’s economy.

Water and Conflict: Fresh Water Resources and International Security

Fresh water is a fundamental resource, integral to all ecological and societal activities, including food and energy production, transportation, waste disposal, industrial development, and human health. Yet fresh water resources are unevenly and irregularly distributed, and some regions of the world are extremely water-short.

Environment and Drought in California 1987-1992

The years 1987 to 1992 comprised the second driest period in California's recorded climate history.

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