The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) convened a task force to prepare this report on the Texas shale development experience. This report covers the underlying science for six topic areas as it pertains to shale exploration and production activities: 1) geology and earthquake activity; 2) land resources; 3) air quality; 4) water quantity and quality; 5) transportation; and 6) economic and social impacts.
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Unlocking the full potential of 5G in the United States rests on a key assumption: the extension of fiber deep into the network. Despite the demand and potential economic benefits of fiber deployment, the United States lacks the fiber density in access networks to make the bandwidth advancements necessary to improve the pace of innovation and economic growth. Increased speed and capacity from 5G will rely on higher frequencies and network densification. Carriers will deploy many more small cells, homespots, and hotspots in higher bands, with a coverage radius measured in meters versus kilometers. Without more deep fiber, carriers will be unable to support the projected four-fold increase in mobile data traffic between 2016 and 2021.
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Despite a never-ending legislative to-do list, regulatory reform and the nation’s crumbling infrastructure are emerging as key policy priorities for Congress and the new presidential administration. In an exclusive interview with Engineering Inc., Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., discussed his vision for infrastructure investment, regulatory reforms and energy legislation. “I am working with the new administration to address our infrastructure priorities and find fiscally responsible ways to start building,” says Barrasso, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
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An aging and increasingly diverse rural America plays a vital role as home to a significant share of the nation’s population, natural resources and tourist destinations. It is also the primary source of the energy, food and fiber that drive the U.S. economy. Rural Americans are more reliant on their transportation system than their urban counterparts.
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This report is intended to be a starting point for further discussion and outreach among the public, stakeholders, local businesses, and local agencies to evaluate the efficacy of a local bikeshare system, ensure that the system is planned correctly and that all concerns are addressed adequately. The South Coast Bike Share Initiative conducted this feasibility study process over the course of 2016, thanks to generous support by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, Santa Barbara City College, and the University of California – Santa Barbara.
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Fundamental market forces — the addition of highly efficient new gas-fired resources, low natural gas prices, and flat demand for electricity — are primarily responsible for altering the profitability of many older merchant generating assets in the parts of the country with wholesale competitive markets administered by Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs). As a result, some of these resources (mostly coal- and natural gas-fired generating units, but also many oil-fired power plants and a handful of nuclear power plants) have retired from the system or announced that they will do so at a future date.
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What about North American cities? The index found they have a lot to learn from their international peers. Vancouver was the continent’s leader at 23rd in the overall ratings, while U.S. cities failed to enter the top quartile. The closest contender was New York City at 26th place…Infrastructure differences help explain why European cities outpaced U.S. and Canadian counterparts. Many European urban centers were settled before the automobile age and, as a result, are densely settled and supported by well-established public transportation systems. However, many American cities outside the Northeast grew with automobiles in mind. “Carcentric designs can lead to urban sprawl and a large carbon footprint, with enormous costs,” Dalkmann says. “Those are fundamental challenges for U.S. cities in terms of sustainability.”
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Rarely has a need with such bipartisan support gone under-funded for so long despite the diligent efforts of many organizations to break the logjam – from labor to business and even political and policy organizations on the right and left…To support an effort on what is, perhaps, one of the biggest economic challenges facing this country, Brodeur Partners invested in a study of the American electorate. Our goal was to gain insight on what voters find relevant in the infrastructure discussion, along with ideas on how to move things forward.
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America’s competitors around the world understand this. They are making unprecedented infrastructure investments and working hard to overtake the United States. Meanwhile, America is underinvesting, and is on the verge of squandering the Infrastructure Advantage we inherited from the investments made by our grandparents and great-grandparents.
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The 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala— known by ACEC members as the Academy Awards of the engineering industry—showcased 162 projects from across the country and around the world…A panel of more than 30 judges from across the nation representing a wide spectrum of built environment disciplines selected 36 projects for top awards—including 16 finalists for the Grand Conceptor Award, presented for the year’s most outstanding engineering achievement.
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