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000581 Progress in Colorado River Delta Continued from page 7 tion between researchers. The Pacific Institute coauthored an article, entitled "Two Nations, One River: Managing Ecosystem Con- servation in the Colorado River Delta," in the Fall 2000 issue of the Natural Resources Journal, which outlines a range of alternatives for enhancing and preserving the delta. Reprints are available from the Pacific Institute. In September, the Pacific Institute published "Miss- ing Water: the Uses and Flows of Water in the Colorado River Delta Region" (available online atwww.pacinst.org or in hardcopy for $10 from the Pacific Institute), pro- viding for the first time a binational overview of water use throughout the region. This water balance offers a foundation for assessing water use and availability in the reglOn. Although new threats continue to present themselves - such as the proposed operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant and consequent desiccation ofthe Cienega de Santa Clara - recognition of the importance of the Colorado River delta and the Upper GulfofCalifornia is cause for optimism. In his annual speech to the Colorado River Water Users Association last December, then Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt concluded: I want to emphasize that dealing with the needs of the Delta may be the single most important piece ofunfmished business on the Colorado River, and I urge you, as water users on the American side of the border, to approach this issue pro actively. We know there are a number of potential win/win opportunities that can and should be explored in bilateral negotiations and with the advice of stake- holders in both countries. With this growing recognition comes the water users' first, halting steps to better understand the issue, steps that with continued public pressure will lead to guaran- teed water for the delta. The Pacific Institute will continue to push the discus- sions forward, recommending win-win solutions and pro- moting sustainable uses that meet the needs of all stake- holders. Life After Kyoto Continued from page 9 viable option for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases? Opinions on these matters were highly polarized. In regard to CO2 storage, for instance, a representa- tive from Statoil emphasized that the technology already existed and that the costs were relatively low in comparison with renewable energy. Others, however, argued that further technological developments were necessary. Yet others had doubts about the reliability of storage. The talk gradually passed on to more strategic matters. Would an emphasis on early action lock us into technologies that might not prove the most effective in reducing emissions in the long term? How do we identify technologies that would be most successful over the long term? The discussion made it clear that there are many reasons to opt for ambitious emissions reduction targets in order to keep a tight rein on the risks of climate change. There does appear to be a possibility of actually achiev- ing those targets, but choices will have to be made. Opinions differ sharply about which choices. The slides presented by Rik Leemans and Bert de Vries can be downloaded from the RIVM website: http://www.rivm.nl/iewebl. Information on the response of Jip Lenstra can be found in the report Climate Change: Solution in Sight, A Dutch Perspective, which can be downloaded from: http://www.ce.nl/bg.pdf Keep Yourself In The Loop! Sign up for one of our topic-based mailing lists at: www.pacinst.org