Annual report 2017 The Australian Academy of Science 2017 Annual Report covers 1 January to 31 December 2017. Read the online annual report Download or print the annual report (PDF 1.1MB)

Official Statistics Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2017 Export control licensing data for 1 January to 31 December 2017. From: Export Control Joint Unit and Department for International Trade Published 17 April 2018 Last updated 8 November 2022 — See all updates Get emails about this page Documents Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 1 January to 31 December 2017 PDF, 2.51 MB, 1035 pages This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email exportcontrol.help@trade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. Details This report covers export licensing decisions made by the government between 1 January and 31 December 2017. Published 17 April 2018 Last updated 8 November 2022 + show all updates 8 November 2022 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics .pdf file updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 12 April 2022 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 12 October 2021 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 13 July 2021 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 13 April 2021 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 16 February 2021 Corrected with new files to reflect amendments made to existing licenses since previous publication (effective 9 February 2021). 9 February 2021 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 15 April 2020 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 14 January 2020 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 15 October 2019 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 16 July 2019 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 16 April 2019 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 15 January 2019 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 16 October 2018 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 17 July 2018 Updated to reflect amendments made to existing licences since previous publication. 25 June 2018 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 1 January to 31 December 2017 (country pivot report) corrected. 17 April 2018 First published. Get emails about this page Related content Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2019 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2009 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2013 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2010 Strategic export controls: licensing statistics, 2011 Collection Strategic export controls: licensing data annual reports Explore the topic Export controls and licensing

In a Warming California, a Future of More Fire Dec 7, 2017 – New York Times – Severe wildfire seasons like the one that has devastated California this fall may occur more frequently because of climate change, scientists say. Among other factors, many climate change forecasts suggest that there will be less rain in Southern California in the fall in the future, and more rain in December and January. That means fires could continue later into the fall, greatly extending the fire risk season. +

Acknowledgments We thank the Sister Study Research Team for their hard work and dedication: P. Armsby, A. Bilhorn-Janssens, H. Carroll, D. Bittner, R. Jesrani, A. Jones, I. Khodosh, C. Scheier, P. Schwingl, J. Ter Maat, E. Revak, T. Young, and F. Yucel. We also thank all former and current Sister Study staff at Social & Scientific Systems, Inc. and at Westat, Inc.; our many volunteer recruiters and spokespersons for the Sister Study; and the dedicated Sister Study participants. We thank W. Arroyave for table preparation and helpful discussion. The Sister Study was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, NIEHS (Z01ES044005), with support from the Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH.

WASHINGTON - Ten years ago today, Dec. 19, President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act, greatly expanding the scope and impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In the decade since passage, significant progress has been made towards greater energy security, cleaner air and boosting local economies, according to a new analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association, "The RFS2: Then and Now." The RFS requires oil companies to blend increasing volumes of renewable fuels with gasoline and diesel, culminating with 36 billion gallons in 2022. "A decade after the RFS2 was adopted, tremendous progress has been made toward achieving the objectives of this landmark policy," according to the analysis, which compares key data points from 2007 to 2017. Among the highlights: The number of operational U.S. ethanol plants has nearly doubled from 110 in 2007 to 211 in 2017, a 92% increase, while U.S. ethanol production has grown 143% from 6.5 billion gallons in 2007 to 15.8 billion gallons in 2017; U.S. ethanol industry jobs grew 42% from 238,541 in 2007 to 339,176, with the value of industry output increasing 74% from $17.8 billion in 2007 to $31 billion in 2017; The production of advanced and cellulosic biofuel increased 469% from 490 million gallons in 2007 to 2.79 billion gallons in 2017; U.S. corn production grew 12% from 13 billion bushels in 2007 to 14.6 billion bushels in 2017, while corn acres planted fell 3% from 93.5 million acres in 2007 to 90.4 million acres in 2007 and average corn yields increased 16% from 150 bushels per acre in 2007 to 175.4 bushels per acre in 2017; The number of retail stations offering flex fuels like E85 increased 238% from 1,208 in 2007 to 4,077 in 2017, while the number of flex fuel vehicles on the road grew from 6.7 million in 2007 to 24.5 million in 2017, a 266% increase; and The greenhouse gas emissions avoided from using ethanol has increased 291% from 12.7 million tons CO2e in 2007 to 49.6 million tons CO2e in 2017. Meanwhile, the doomsday outcomes threatened by RFS opponents have simply not materialized. U.S. cropland area fell 6% from 402 million acres in 2007 to 376 million acres in 2017, while U.S. grassland area has increased 5% from 1,296 thousand square miles to 1,359 thousand square miles. The deforestation rate in the Amazon fell 43% from 4,498 square miles in 2007 to 2,558 square miles in 2017; The greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soil management, urea fertilization, and liming fell 7% from 278.7 million metric tons CO2e in 2007 to 260.1 million metric tons CO2e in 2017; Overall food inflation was 4% in 2007, but 1% in 2017; Prices for red meat, poultry, fish, cereals and bakery items, and dairy were unchanged in 2017 from the previous year, as compared to a 3.8% increase in 2007; and World grain supply for coarse grains, wheat, and rice increased 31% to 3.23 billion metric tons in 2017, as compared to 2.46 billion metric tons in 2007. "By any measure, RFS2 has been a huge success, bringing about greater consumer choice while helping to make the air cleaner, stimulate economic activity and enhance energy security," said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen. "As this analysis shows, consumers have greatly benefitted from this vital program. These benefits have rippled throughout our economy and we look forward to even greater success of the RFS for years to come." The full analysis is available here.

WASHINGTON - Ten years ago today, Dec. 19, President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act, greatly expanding the scope and impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In the decade since passage, significant progress has been made towards greater energy security, cleaner air and boosting local economies, according to a new analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association, "The RFS2: Then and Now." The RFS requires oil companies to blend increasing volumes of renewable fuels with gasoline and diesel, culminating with 36 billion gallons in 2022. "A decade after the RFS2 was adopted, tremendous progress has been made toward achieving the objectives of this landmark policy," according to the analysis, which compares key data points from 2007 to 2017. Among the highlights: The number of operational U.S. ethanol plants has nearly doubled from 110 in 2007 to 211 in 2017, a 92% increase, while U.S. ethanol production has grown 143% from 6.5 billion gallons in 2007 to 15.8 billion gallons in 2017; U.S. ethanol industry jobs grew 42% from 238,541 in 2007 to 339,176, with the value of industry output increasing 74% from $17.8 billion in 2007 to $31 billion in 2017; The production of advanced and cellulosic biofuel increased 469% from 490 million gallons in 2007 to 2.79 billion gallons in 2017; U.S. corn production grew 12% from 13 billion bushels in 2007 to 14.6 billion bushels in 2017, while corn acres planted fell 3% from 93.5 million acres in 2007 to 90.4 million acres in 2007 and average corn yields increased 16% from 150 bushels per acre in 2007 to 175.4 bushels per acre in 2017; The number of retail stations offering flex fuels like E85 increased 238% from 1,208 in 2007 to 4,077 in 2017, while the number of flex fuel vehicles on the road grew from 6.7 million in 2007 to 24.5 million in 2017, a 266% increase; and The greenhouse gas emissions avoided from using ethanol has increased 291% from 12.7 million tons CO2e in 2007 to 49.6 million tons CO2e in 2017. Meanwhile, the doomsday outcomes threatened by RFS opponents have simply not materialized. U.S. cropland area fell 6% from 402 million acres in 2007 to 376 million acres in 2017, while U.S. grassland area has increased 5% from 1,296 thousand square miles to 1,359 thousand square miles. The deforestation rate in the Amazon fell 43% from 4,498 square miles in 2007 to 2,558 square miles in 2017; The greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soil management, urea fertilization, and liming fell 7% from 278.7 million metric tons CO2e in 2007 to 260.1 million metric tons CO2e in 2017; Overall food inflation was 4% in 2007, but 1% in 2017; Prices for red meat, poultry, fish, cereals and bakery items, and dairy were unchanged in 2017 from the previous year, as compared to a 3.8% increase in 2007; and World grain supply for coarse grains, wheat, and rice increased 31% to 3.23 billion metric tons in 2017, as compared to 2.46 billion metric tons in 2007. "By any measure, RFS2 has been a huge success, bringing about greater consumer choice while helping to make the air cleaner, stimulate economic activity and enhance energy security," said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen. "As this analysis shows, consumers have greatly benefitted from this vital program. These benefits have rippled throughout our economy and we look forward to even greater success of the RFS for years to come." The full analysis is available here.

WASHINGTON - In a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) asked the agency to waive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for his state to no more than 9.7% for the conventional biofuel requirement, suggesting the RFS threatens to severely harm the state's economy. In response, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen had the following statement: "Gov. Abbott's waiver request doesn't come anywhere close to meeting the very high threshold required by the statute for proving 'severe harm.' The truth is, the RFS is helping—not harming—the Texas economy by offering greater consumer choice, lower cost fuels, and thousands of jobs in ethanol production and agriculture. While Texas is always labeled as a big oil and gas state, the RFS has supported a burgeoning renewable fuels industry in the Lone Star state as well. Not only is the state home to four large ethanol plants, it is also home to 199 stations offering E85 and other flex fuels, dozens of stations selling E15, and one of the largest populations of flex fuel vehicles in the nation. Gov. Abbott's waiver request ignores this critical Texas industry and would undermine the significant economic benefits it offers each and every day. "In any case, EPA's threshold for action specifically notes that an impact on any particular industry would not trigger a waiver. Rather, the agency will look at the impact on the economy as a whole and with ethanol today being less expensive than gasoline, and providing consumers significant savings at the pump, that is a threshold that simply is not met today. "The waiver request also overlooks a number of important realities regarding RIN credits and the gasoline market. Just two weeks ago, an analysis from Wells Fargo corroborated studies from Harvard University, MIT, the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, and other institutions showing that merchant refiners recoup their RIN costs through higher refining margins. When these facts are properly taken into consideration, it is clear that EPA has no choice but to deny Gov. Abbott's request for a waiver of the RFS requirements."

WASHINGTON - In a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) asked the agency to waive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for his state to no more than 9.7% for the conventional biofuel requirement, suggesting the RFS threatens to severely harm the state's economy. In response, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen had the following statement: "Gov. Abbott's waiver request doesn't come anywhere close to meeting the very high threshold required by the statute for proving 'severe harm.' The truth is, the RFS is helping—not harming—the Texas economy by offering greater consumer choice, lower cost fuels, and thousands of jobs in ethanol production and agriculture. While Texas is always labeled as a big oil and gas state, the RFS has supported a burgeoning renewable fuels industry in the Lone Star state as well. Not only is the state home to four large ethanol plants, it is also home to 199 stations offering E85 and other flex fuels, dozens of stations selling E15, and one of the largest populations of flex fuel vehicles in the nation. Gov. Abbott's waiver request ignores this critical Texas industry and would undermine the significant economic benefits it offers each and every day. "In any case, EPA's threshold for action specifically notes that an impact on any particular industry would not trigger a waiver. Rather, the agency will look at the impact on the economy as a whole and with ethanol today being less expensive than gasoline, and providing consumers significant savings at the pump, that is a threshold that simply is not met today. "The waiver request also overlooks a number of important realities regarding RIN credits and the gasoline market. Just two weeks ago, an analysis from Wells Fargo corroborated studies from Harvard University, MIT, the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, and other institutions showing that merchant refiners recoup their RIN costs through higher refining margins. When these facts are properly taken into consideration, it is clear that EPA has no choice but to deny Gov. Abbott's request for a waiver of the RFS requirements."

Report for Ofgem “What can we learn from international comparators about how we should structure an incentives framework for the future GB electricity system operator to help maximise consumer welfare?” by K.L Anaya & M.G. Pollitt