News
from the Nicholas Institute
Subject
line: News from the Nicholas Institute
Oct. 09, 2006
A brief roundup of news and information about the Nicholas Institute for Environmental
Policy Solutions at Duke University
1. COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH. Mark your calendars: On Nov. 16, the Nicholas Institute is launching its presence in Washington, D.C. “We’re planning a day of events that will bring together heavy hitters from business, government, think tanks, environmental NGOs and academia to demonstrate, in a substantive way, what the institute brings to D.C.,” says Director Tim Profeta. The agenda will include workshops exploring new policy analysis on climate change and governance of the oceans. It will culminate with a reception that features an intimate conversation between luminaries of the political and corporate worlds discussing the potential economic and energy benefits of a carbon cap. Look for more details to be announced in coming weeks here >.
2. RESEARCH ROUNDUP. A new report by Raphael Sagarin, associate director for coastal and oceans policy, finds scant evidence to support the widely held hypothesis that species are most abundant at the center of their ranges. Much current thinking on ecological issues, including how species will respond to climate change, is based on the hypothesis, Sagarin says. The validity of those ideas now needs to be re-examined. The report, published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, is online here >.
3. ENERGY ROUNDTABLE UPDATE. A consensus document from the Sept. 22 Energy Security Roundtable in D.C. is in the works. The document, due later this winter, will summarize the recommendations of nearly 30 experts from industry, government, academia and NGOs who weighed policy options for enhancing U.S. energy security by enhancing economic and political stability in oil-rich nations. For more information, contact Associate Director Lydia Olander at lydia.olander@duke.edu.
4. IN THE NEWS. The Institute’s reputation continues to grow as a source of informed, unbiased media commentary on environmental policy. Among other recent placements, Director Tim Profeta was quoted in a Washington Post Foreign Service article about British billionaire Richard Branson’s pledge to invest $3 billion to fight global warming and promote alternative energy, and Associate Director Raphael Sagarin’s study challenging the validity of ecology’s “abundant-center hypothesis” was cited in a United Press International news brief that appeared in dozens of media outlets worldwide. To read these and other recent news stories, click here >.
