Environmental Law Prof Blog

Oregon Global Warming Commission appointed

Here's the announcement of Oregon's Global Warming Commission

January 24, 2008

Governor Kulongoski Announces Global Warming Commission and Outlines 2009 Climate Change Agenda Governor calls for Commission to develop long-term policy recommendations to combat global warming for future legislatures and administrations. Salem – Governor Ted Kulongoski today announced the appointments to the Oregon Global Warming Commission, a 25-member advisory group created by the 2007 legislature through House Bill 3543. In a meeting with the new commission members, the Governor charged the group to develop recommendations for policy makers for the 2009 legislative session that will build on Oregon’s aggressive actions on global warming and climate change. “The mission of the Global Warming Commission becomes more urgent every day,” said Governor Kulongoski. “From rising waters during winter storms to raging forest fires and drought that threatens the future of our farms, vineyards, and orchards, global warming is already threatening Oregon’s economic prosperity and quality of life.” The commission follows the work of the Climate Change Integration Group that will soon release its report on how Oregon is making progress on adapting to climate change  and outline next steps for the state. The final report, in conjunction with the work of the Global Warming Commission, will play a key role in the development of the Governor’s climate change package for the 2009 legislative session. The package will focus on both protecting the climate and continuing to develop Oregon’s nationally recognized green economy to bring new companies and jobs to the state. “Dealing with global warming is not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic imperative,” said Governor Kulongoski. “Oregon’s efforts to attract companies that are focused on climate change benefits not only the environment but also our goal to create a business climate ideal for investment in renewable and clean energy technologies.” The Governor outlined key elements of his 2009 Climate Change Agenda, including: Development of a cap and trade proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region; A comprehensive water package to address reduced snow pack leading to low water levels in the summer; Aggressive steps for energy efficiency and the development of green building, a green collar workforce and electric cars; and, Resources for state and local agencies to integrate climate change policy and analyze impacts of climate change on our water, forest, coastal and transportation resources. “I look forward to working with the Global Warming Commission on the important work they have before them,” said Governor Kulongoski. “Together, we will meet the challenges presented by rapid climate change.” The Governor also took action today to support the state’s climate change efforts by signing on to a letter, along with thirteen other states, to the Environmental Protection Agency expressing frustration with the EPA’s refusal to grant a waiver for tailpipe emissions standards that would allow Oregon to reduce greenhouse gasses emitted by automobiles by implementing stricter standards. The clean tailpipe standards are a key part of the Governor’s existing climate strategies.  This letter follows one sent by Oregon’s Attorney General urging the EPA to move forward on the Massachusetts v. EPA case where the court ordered the EPA to determine if greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles cause air pollution that endangers public health. For a copy of the letter, go to: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/docs/01_24_08_finalstateswaiverletter.pdf For the membership of the Global Warming Commission, go to: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/docs/01_24_08_globalwarmingcommissionmembers.pdf Contacts: Anna Richter Taylor, 503-378-5040 Rem Nivens, 503-378-6496 Patty Wentz, 503-378-6169

Climate Change Resources

Here's a great link.  This is Michael Gerrard's Arnold & Porter site on climate change.  Climate Change Litigation

Harvard Open Paper Competition -- Climate Policy Framework

SPECIAL PAPER COMPETITION - open to all

CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 2008

The Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements invites submission of papers focused on the design of international climate policy architectures.  Papers should propose a complete policy framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol in the post-2012 period.   

The Harvard Project will select one or more submitted papers and award winning authors an honorarium of US$3,000 per paper.   The Harvard Project will publish the winning paper through the Project’s Working Paper Series and website: www.belfercenter.org/climate.

Papers should be submitted as a PDF file attachment by email to climate@harvard.edu by July 1, 2008.  Include “HARVARD PROJECT PAPER” on the subject line of the email.  The paper should include the following: the title of the paper, name and institutional affiliation of author(s) and their disciplines on the title page; a one-page abstract; and text not too exceed 10,000 words.  Only English-language papers will be considered in the competition.  Email submissions should also include a PDF file attachment of the lead author’s curriculum vitae.

The Harvard Project will acknowledge receipt of all submissions by email.  Notification of acceptance will be made by September 1, 2008. 

This call for papers is open to policy practitioners, scholars, students, and others in all fields from developed and developing countries.  Professors, researchers, students, and others affiliated with Harvard University or Resources for the Future are not eligible to participate in this competition.

Criteria for Evaluating Papers

The Harvard Project will evaluate the submitted papers based on how effectively they address the following questions:

(1) What incentives does the policy framework provide for participation and compliance?

(2) Is the policy approach robust to various economic, political, and environmental shocks as well as the resolution of uncertainty over time?

(3) Is it politically feasible to transition from the Kyoto Protocol to the proposed policy architecture?  How does the proposed approach address major issues raised in the Bali Action Plan, including mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financial mechanisms?

(4) What are the equity implications of the proposal?

(5) How does the proposal pursue cost-effective mitigation of climate change risks?

(6) How does the proposed framework provide the basis for satisfying the ultimate objective of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (Article 2)?

(7) What are the costs and benefits of the proposed policy architecture, to the extent these can be identified?   

For examples of climate policy architectures, please refer to the proposals described in:

Architectures for Agreement: Addressing Global Climate Change in the Post-Kyoto World, Joseph E. Aldy and Robert N. Stavins, eds., Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summaries of these proposals can also be found on the Harvard Project website: www.belfercenter.org/climate.

About the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements

The goal of the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements is to help identify key design elements of a scientifically sound, economically rational, and politically pragmatic post-2012 international policy architecture for global climate change. We are drawing upon leading thinkers from academia, private industry, government, and non-governmental organizations from around the world to construct a small set of promising policy frameworks, and then disseminate and discuss the design elements and frameworks with decision makers. The Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements is co-directed by Robert N. Stavins, Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, and Joseph E. Aldy, Fellow at Resources for the Future, a non-partisan, non-advocacy research institute in Washington, DC. For news, research results, and more information, see the Project’s website at www.belfercenter.org/climate.  To sign up for email alerts, please go to http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/subscribe.html and click on the “Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements” box.   

Major funding for the project has been provided by the Climate Change Initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (www.ddcf.org ). Additional funding has been provided by Christopher P. Kaneb, AB 1990, Harvard College and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.


Best regards,

Joe Aldy and Rob  Stavins

Joseph E. Aldy
Co-Director, Harvard Project on International  Climate Agreements
Fellow, Resources for the Future
(202)  328-5091
Aldy@rff.org

Robert N. Stavins
Co-Director, Harvard  Project on International Climate Agreements
Albert Pratt Professor of  Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School
(617)  495-1820
robert_stavins@Harvard.Edu

Robert C. Stowe
Project  Manager, Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements
(617)  496-4265
robert_stowe@harvard.edu

Sasha Talcott
Communications  Director, Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements
(617)  495-7831
Sasha_Talcott@harvard.edu