RosenbergOilAlternativesResearchAnnotation1

California High Speed Rail Authority. "Project Vision and Scope." State of California, 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.  2. Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? ** The California High-Speed Rail Authority, established in 1996, is the primary entity within the government of the state of California responsible for coordinating efforts to establish high-speed rail service between the major population centers of the region; its major tasks include planning, construction, and operation of the proposed 800-mile railway. Its nine-member board is selected by the governor (five members), the state’s Senate Rules Committee (two members), and the speaker of the state assembly (two members). At present, these officials include a former chairman of the California Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, and the present mayor of Anaheim, with backgrounds ranging from political science to business, law, and engineering. Additionally, the CEO of the organization has extensive experience as a manager and engineer at transportation companies, including Siemens and Alstom Transportation. 3. What is the main topic or argument of the text? ** The piece argues that high-speed rail will bring a multitude of benefits to the Pacific Coast corridor of the state of California, in such areas as the economy, the environment, and ease of travel for the individual citizen. 4. Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. ** The text strives to place its argument within the context of the expected scale of the high-speed rail system. In this sense, it is noted that the project would likely encompass as much as 800 miles of track and 24 stations, with travel times between Los Angeles and San Francisco reduced to as low as 2 hours and 40 minutes in the event that trains are permitted to reach their maximum speed of 220 mph. The enormity of the operation is then funneled into three categories of potential benefits: economic, environmental, and community. In the first case, it is suggested that as many as 100,000 construction jobs may be created while building takes place, and that 450,000 permanent jobs would be permitted by general economic growth promoted by faster transit. In terms of environmental benefits, an estimate is referenced from 2008 which indicates that high-speed rail would reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 12.7 million barrels per year, and greenhouse gas emissions by 12 billion pounds per year. Last, it is argued that more convenient travel will help to revitalize communities and promote further expansion of local public transportation networks. 5. What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? ** 1) “Initially running from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim via the Central Valley, and later to Sacramento and San Diego, high-speed trains will travel between LA and San Francisco in under 2 hours and 40 minutes, at speeds of up to 220 mph, and will interconnect with other transportation alternatives, providing an environmentally friendly option to traveling by plane or car.”    2) “Because the electric power to the trains can be produced by sustainable and renewable power sources like wind and solar, this system will cut air pollution and smog throughout California.” 3) “Improved energy efficiency: high-speed rail uses only one-third the energy of airplanes and one-fifth the energy of the family car”  6. Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus.   **  If one is to engage in a re-laying of railroad tracks to support higher speed rail travel, it is clear that there must be a significant degree of benefits associated with the project to justify its price tag. In this sense, California has argued that the majority of the impacts generated would be seen in the long term. For instance, while 12.7 million barrels of foreign oil per year is miniscule in the context of total United States imports, the effects would accumulate to a greater extent over a 25 year period. Similarly, it is argued that pollution will be reduced through the use of electric power generated by renewable sources, which may be less feasible in the immediate future. With these considerations in mind, one must wonder whether this investment is rather an auxiliary piece of the sustainability solution. 7. List at least two details or references from the text that will be useful to other members of your research group  **  1) []
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This reference provides estimates of expected travel times along the proposed routes, as well as the forecasted reductions in CO2 emissions (presumably relative to traveling by automobile).

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At this link, one can find a graphic depicting the various stages involved in devising and implementing the California high-speed rail network. Included along with this information are pages for each of the proposed segments of the system, with additional details regarding the proposed route, as well as documents and other resources pertaining to the plans for the region.