EESI Update –Fall 2006 Issue
“Behind
the Scenes” at EESI
Welcome
to this special Fall issue of EESI
Update.
In addition to sharing examples of EESI’s current work, we
are offering you a chance to look through the walls of 122 C St. NW
#630 and take a peek at some of the lesser-known ways in which we help
advance innovative solutions everyday.
From the contributions of our interns to seeding ideas from
which others bear fruit, EESI continues to educate and stimulate
policy makers, coalition members, industry leaders and
environmentalists on renewable energy/efficiency, transportation,
agriculture, climate change, and smart growth issues.
1. EESI
Prompts the G8 to "Walk the Talk"
 Previous
to the meeting of the G8 in Gleneagles, Scotland in July of 2005, United Kingdom Farmers Union officials met with EESI's Carol Werner
for advice on developing biofuels in their country.
They chose EESI as part of their tour of experts because they
understood EESI’s advanced position on the issue.
In the discussion, the officials expressed frustration that the
UK government was so vocal in its call for action on climate change,
yet had done little in the area of biofuels.
The UK agriculture sector needed help in bringing the potential
of biofuels to the attention of policy leaders.
Carol
relayed this message to an official with the British Embassy with whom
we have worked quite closely on a number of climate issues.
She pointed out that developing a biofuels industry presented a
great opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, cut carbon
dioxide emissions, and offer the Commonwealth islands a new market for
sugar cane. As a result, when the G8 leaders met in Scotland in July
2005, they rode in cars that utilized a fuel blended with cellulosic
ethanol made from straw.
Afterward, the embassy official told us, "You see–I'm
listening to you!"
2.
EESI
Seeds Ideas
One aspect of EESI's work that goes largely unnoticed is the constant
"seeding" of ideas with many different audiences.
For example, EESI’s paper, Subsidies: Historic,
Current and the Skewing of Market Signals (http://www.eesi.org/publications/Presentations/NCC%20Energy%20Subsidies%207.29.05.pdf)
prepared for Carol’s presentation to the Policy, Institutions, and
the True Costs of Carbon conference organized by the New Mexico
Council of Churches, prompted staff from Goldman Sachs to invite Carol
New York to talk with them about subsidies and the policy picture for
investing in renewable energy. Goldman
Sachs has made significant investments in clean energy technologies.
EESI's information resources are like seeds scattered to the wind - they
reach people far and wide. Dozens
of recipients of our e-newsletters pass them on to hundreds of their
colleagues, use articles for their own newsletters or post a link to
our information on their website.
In fact, a university ecology and environmental science
lecturer told us, "I've found that your electronic newsletters
and publications are really essential for environmental education.
Using these newsletters, we can inform our students and the
public."
Other similar glowing reviews of EESI newsletters include:
"Your weekly report is the best thing I get and
read.” “One word –
OUTSTANDING! – best describes the recent EESI newsletter.
You guys really put out a quality product." and "The
positive and well-researched information you provide is critical to
many of us. Thank you.”
To receive any of our free electronic newsletters, go to http://www.eesi.org/briefings/form.htm
Policy ideas grow from many places. For
example, policy professionals often send ideas to colleagues to get
input and feedback. In a
recent email discourse on climate policy and how to fund renewable
energy and efficiency technologies, Carol suggested that perhaps it
was time to consider a carbon tax as an option.
After the energy tax proposal of the early '90s
(which was a major effort of EESI) was defeated, support for the concept fell away.
However, times have changed and, much to Carol’s pleasant
surprise, there were a number of positive responses.
EESI hopes to help stimulate interest in this and other
effective policy options for controlling carbon emissions by vetting
ideas, working with other interested parties and presenting concepts
to policy makers as some of the many ways in which our country
can advance an environmentally sustainable energy future and address
the threat of climate change.
To
learn more about successful deployment of an “eco-tax,” EESI staff
members met with Dr. Anselm Görres, President of Green Budget
Germany, an organization established to support the development of
Ecological Tax Reform (ETR) in Germany. The group
now works on
improving the ETR and educating the public about it.
Dr. Görres described
Germany's experience with the phased-in energy tax.
Eighty-nine percent of revenues were returned directly to the
people through the pension system, helping to reduce labor costs
(leading to an overall reduction in the tax burden by 4%) and the
remaining 11 percent funded environmental improvement projects.
The tax resulted in a 16% decrease in fuel consumption and the
creation of 250,000 new jobs. For
more information, please visit http://www.eco-tax.info.
3.
Preparing
the Next Generation
EESI always has utilized interns. Though
we only provide a transportation allowance, we offer an unparalleled
experience and exposure to policy work on Capitol Hill.
The EESI staff take seriously our role of educating a new
generation of environmental professionals.
Our interns get a substantive experience unlike those found most
places in
Washington. They work closely with a
policy analyst and our Executive Director to conduct research and
learn about environmental and energy policy.
They attend hearings on the Hill, help us organize
Congressional briefings, read and summarize relevant items in the
Congressional Record, track legislation, draft papers and fact sheets,
and make other meaningful contributions to EESI's work.
They are an invaluable part of our overall success.
We generally engage 3 interns each semester who come from colleges and
universities across the country. Most
are near completion of their Bachelor's degree, but we have employed
interns ranging from a high school graduate (on her way to Yale) to
post-Master's and even PhD degree individuals.
Our interns have gone on to positions in federal, state, and
local government, major environmental consulting firms, other national
nonprofits, and sometimes have even been hired as full-time staffers
at EESI. Our interns bring
great value to the organization, and we are very appreciative of the
work they do to help us advance a clean, healthy, sustainable energy
future. Afterward,
many of them stay
in touch with us—a tribute to the experience they have had at EESI.
4.
Intern
Profile: Priya Keane
 Priya joined EESI this past September as a Sustainable Communities intern.
She is currently a senior at UCLA majoring in Geography with an
Environmental Studies concentration, as well as a minor in Global
Studies. Priya, an
Alaska
native, came to
Washington, DC
along with 30 other students as a part of her school’s Center for
American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP) internship program.
Priya enjoys the opportunity to work for an organization that helps to shape
policy at the national level and learn from a diverse staff.
She says, “I’m really enjoying my time at EESI because
the staff are knowledgeable, but also approachable.” Her main
task is to research current examples of how city planners are
integrating different aspects of energy into their planning process.
Her work will be used to help EESI and the American Planning
Association develop a “best practices” manual for the building of
more energy efficient, sustainable communities.
Priya
says that, thus far, her research has helped to broaden her knowledge
of largely unknown people, organizations, and coalitions around the
country who are engaged in the fight against climate change.
She says that discovering them has given her hope about the
possibilities for a sustainable future.
When she graduates she would like to work in either
environmental policy or sustainable product marketing.
5.
Expanding
the Reach of EESI Research via Wikipedia
Another recent EESI intern, Shaun Brown, decided to take research he had
done for EESI projects and translate them into Wikipedia articles.
Wikipedia is an online free-content encyclopedia, managed by a
non-profit company, which anyone can edit. Most of Shaun’s work can
be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
response in these sections:
A As well as in the ‘Smart Growth’ article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_growth
in these sections:
-
Rationale
for smart growth
-
Economic
rationale
-
Climate
change rationale
-
Elements of
smart growth
-
Compact
neighborhoods
-
Transit-oriented
development
-
Walkable
and bicycle-friendly design
-
Other
concepts
6.
A Catalyst for Action on the Hill
 EESI educates Member offices on critical issues and policy options that
address them. Much of this
work is done through one-on-one conversations with staff - in person,
by email and by phone in addition to our well-known Congressional
briefings, white papers, newsletters and other educational avenues.
Almost every day, numerous requests come into our office from
Congressional offices seeking help.
We provide information for speeches, answer all sorts of
questions, draft policy suggestions, refer people to additional
experts, and most of all, help people see the connections between our
issues and their concerns and provide opportunities for them to take
action.
Just
a few recent examples:
- Helped ranking committee member with renewable energy facts for a
speech
- Fulfilled staff requests for Farm Bill information
- Suggested bill language on Flex-Fuel Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
- Hosted one-on-one meetings with House and Senate staff to give biofuels
overview
- Provided
talking points for Members of Congress on the relationship between
oil, energy, and climate
7. Recent
EESI Briefings
 EESI’s
recent briefings have garnered great attendance, media attention, and
led to additional collaboration with Hill staff.
Most of the briefings have had audiences of around 100.
However, we had a packed house of over 150 people crowded into
the room for both our September 22nd briefing on cellulosic
ethanol (9/22/06) and our Stern review briefing (11/13/06), forcing us
to turn others away.
Some who were unable to make it into the room for the
cellulosic ethanol briefing utilized a webcast of it on the
Agriculture Committee website.
Our November 1st briefing on the role of small
business in the passage of California’s recent global warming
legislation, AB 32, generated several articles in the press, including
Congressional
Quarterly, Greenwire,
and American
City Business Journals, and has resulted in interest in
potential Senate hearings on small business and global warming.
What
Would the Elimination of the Conservation Reserve Program Do to
Federal Spending and Commodity Prices? - September 7, 2006.
Presenter: Professor
Daryll E. Ray, Agriculture
Policy
Analysis
Center
(APAC),
University
of
Tennessee
.
Understanding
the Energy-Water-Climate Nexus: Implications for Policy - September
13, 2006. Presenters:
Nate Gentry, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Dr.
Allan Hoffman, U.S. Department of Energy; John Gasper,
Argonne National Laboratory; Dr. Peter Gleick, Pacific
Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security.
Cellulosic
Ethanol Technology: Is it Ready To Be Commercially Deployed Today? -
September 22, 2006. Presenters:
Arnold R. Klann, BlueFire Ethanol, Inc.; Maurice Hladk,
Iogen, Corp.; John Doyle, Celunol, Corp.
Clean
Energy, a Strong Economy and a Healthy Environment: Western Governors
Take Action - September 27, 2006. Presenters: William Keese,
Western Governors’ Association Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory
Committee, and former Chairman of the California Energy Commission; Dr.
Douglas Arent, Principal Analyst, Energy Analysis, National
Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Small
Business Takes Active Role in Supporting
California
’s Global Warming Legislation, AB 32: Signals National Implications -
November 1, 2006. Presenters:
Byron Kennard, Center for Small Business and the
Environment; Scott Hauge, Small Business
California
; Hank Ryan, Small Business
California
.
Stern Review on the
Economics of Climate Change- November 13, 2006. Presenters:
Julian Braithwaite, Counselor
for Global Issues, British Embassy; David Thomas, 1st
Secretary, Energy and Environment, British Embassy.
8.  The
Great Warming
The
Great Warming, an
exciting new documentary about global warming, was launched nationwide
through the Regal Cinema chain on Nov. 3. The Great Warming
is neither negative nor pessimistic and presents an array
of solutions to climate change - leaving audiences with a
positive message and sense of hope. The film’s producers developed a month-long initiative that
ran up to
and through the film’s launch date. This initiative was delivered by a coalition of voices from every shade of opinion in
America; EESI is one of the partner organizations.
http://www.thegreatwarming.com
9. Idling
Reduction in School Buses
 In
late October, USDA announced grants to increase use of alternative
fuels, one of which is to the Salt Lake/Utah Clean Cities Coalition,
which includes the Environmental and Energy Study Institute as
one of several partners. The
program will create and disseminate model idling reduction curriculum;
train school bus drivers; document the impact on reduced petroleum
use, lower emissions and fuel cost savings; oversee implementation of
the program as a model in six Utah and Nevada partner schools; and
ultimately distribute the model curriculum/program experience to
encourage replication by school districts nationwide. http://www.utahcleancities.org/strategies.htm
10. EESI
Supports Geothermal Technology Despite DOE Omission
 In
February, EESI was aghast when the Administration's FY07 budget
proposed to zero out geothermal energy funding.
Moreover, the Administration excluded geothermal from its high-
profile October renewable energy technologies conference (and rebuffed
requests to include it). Geothermal also was excluded from those
renewable energy technologies deemed eligible for the federal energy
loan guarantee program.
Clearly, the Administration is trying to eliminate the
geothermal program.
So when EESI examined DOE's recent draft of its Strategic Plan
2006, we were not surprised to find that geothermal energy sources
were omitted from its list of renewable energy technologies.
In September, EESI submitted comments about this omission to
DOE for their consideration in reviewing the Strategic Plan.
View EESI’s comments at http://www.eesi.org/publications/Press%20Releases/2006/9-7-06_eesi_comments_DOE_Geothermal.htm.
EESI
knows that tremendous potential exists to advance geothermal
technologies beyond their current capabilities if federal research and
demonstration funding is available.
In fact, geothermal was specifically mentioned as a critical
resource in a recent Western Governors' Association (WGA) report, Clean
Energy, a Strong Economy and a Healthy Environment.
Geothermal energy is critical to a low-carbon energy future.
As a result, EESI has been actively drawing policymaker
attention to this undervalued energy source.
EESI helped restore geothermal funding (FY 07 appropriations
are still unresolved) as part of our overall effort to increase
funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the federal
budget.
We hosted a briefing on geothermal energy in March as well as a
September briefing on the WGA report.
And, at the request of DOE’s Office of Geothermal Technology,
we provided a technical review of an MIT report on the development
potential of geothermal in the United States by 2050.
11.
Integrating Energy with Planning
EESI has recently embarked on a joint project with the American Planning
Association (APA) to better integrate energy sustainability with
planning. With funding
from the Surdna Foundation and the George Gund Foundation, over the
next three years EESI and APA will be convening a scoping symposium
and partner dialogue, identifying and documenting best practices,
examining state and federal policy implications, developing a how-to
manual and website, and conducting training.
http://www.planning.org/energy
12.
EESI Welcomes New Biomass Fellow, Ian Siu!
 Ian
Siu joined EESI at the beginning of October to work on our USDA
contract to develop workable incentives for bioenergy.
For this project, EESI is working with team members New Uses
Council and
North Carolina
State
University
to explore supportive policies to expand the production of biofuel,
biopower, and biobased products. Ian's
research will focus on helping the team construct three case studies,
designed to demonstrate the social and economic impacts of recommended
incentives in a particular location with a particular technology.
Ian has a degree in economics from
Brown
University
and has experience working with tax credits for small and
minority-owned businesses.
13.
Plug-ins and the Environment
 EESI,
as part of its Flexible-Fuel Plug-in Hybrid vehicle campaign,
developed a response to an American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy (ACEEE) analysis released to the press in September about
their interpretation of the environmental and economic performance of
plug-in vehicles. While
the overall report presents a positive picture for plug-in technology,
EESI felt it necessary to raise a few issues about the underlying
assumptions of the analysis. Both
the ACEEE report and EESI's response are part of developing a more
complete and accurate picture of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as
this exciting technology generates more interest and policy
considerations as well as ongoing analysis. View
our response at http://www.eesi.org/publications/Fact%20Sheets/ACEEEreport_EESIresponse.PDF
14.
Please Make an End-of-Year Contribution to
Support EESI's Successful Work
EESI is unique. No other
organization provides the same quantity and quality of science,
technology and policy briefings that EESI regularly orchestrates for
policymakers. EESI brings together a wide range of experts from across
the country to educate Congress and promote
"win-win" policy options. EESI's highly acclaimed
Congressional briefings (24 so far this year), free electronic
newsletters, broad-based coalition building and policy development
work elevate attention to critical issues and bring about
groundbreaking solutions.
As you think about your charitable contributions this year, we hope you will
include EESI as one that you support. A tax-deductible contribution to
EESI will allow us to help free
America
from its "addiction to oil" and reduce global warming with
clean renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. You
can take pride in knowing you are making a difference!
And you can feel confident that your contribution will be well-spent: EESI has received four stars from Charity Navigator
(their top rating) -- America's largest independent charity evaluator
-- indicating that EESI excels
at efficiently and effectively managing its finances to ensure that
your contributions have the greatest impact possible.
Please
go to
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=480 to make a
donation online or contact EESI Development Director
Ruth Lampi
at RLampi@eesi.org or 202-662-1887.
15.
Shop
for the holidays on-line and benefit EESI!
EESI has a new partnership with Fundraising Solutions
so that you can help EESI when you shop online. It is your doorway to 1,000
online stores. Shop with any
of these merchants and they will donate a portion of every sale to
EESI in your name or anonymously. All you have to do is click on the
little shopping bag and start shopping! You can also put a shopping
bag directly on your desktop. There
is no additional cost to you.
http://www.fundraising-solutions.org/marketplace/marketplace.cfm?user_id=997&mds=2
Go to our Marketplace!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome
suggestions for this newsletter and other ways we communicate with
you. You can send your
ideas to RLampi@eesi.org. We
look forward to hearing from you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EESI
Update and EESI's other
valuable work described in EESI
Update in energy, climate change, agriculture, transportation and
smart growth is made possible through financial support from people
like you. Your tax-deductible contribution will help EESI
develop innovative policy solutions for a cleaner, safer, healthier
world. EIN: 52-1268030. Carol
Werner, Executive Director
For more
information, or to be added or removed from the distribution list for
this newsletter, contact Ruth Lampi at rlampi@eesi.org or
202-662-1887.
Download
print version
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Environmental and Energy Study
Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a
bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide timely
information on energy and environmental policy issues to policymakers
and stakeholders and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on
a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.
|
