 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Risk & Precation Project | Managing Climate Change | Certifying Environmental Codes | Biodiversity Conservation Strategies | Interdisciplinary Seed Grants (2002)
| The Reality of Precaution: Comparing Approaches to Risk and Regulation. | |
| This project examines the "precautionary principle" and its reflection in actual regulatory programs in the U.S. and Europe. It goes beyond the current rhetoric of greater European precaution (e.g. regarding biotechnology, beef hormones and climate change) to study a wider array of concrete examples, including instances of greater American precaution (e.g. nuclear power, leaded gasoline, smoking, and mad cow disease in blood), and thereby to foster mutual transatlantic understanding of the complexity of actual regulations across risks. The project analyzes why different societies choose different risks to worry most about, and provides recommendations for when precaution makes sense in light of both target and countervailing risks. additional information | |
2.
|
Global Environmental Institutions. |
| This project analyzes the design and performance of attempts to redress global environmental problems, including climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, persistent organic pollutants, and loss of forests and biodiversity. It assesses past and prospective outcomes in terms of effectiveness, cost, fairness, and participation, and proposes improved designs for global environmental policymaking. The Center will analyze alternative perspectives on the role of institutions in environmental performance, test the strength of these perspectives as empirical explanations, and attempt to synthesize recommendations for desirable institutional designs to address the environmental challenges of the future. | |
| a.
Institutions to Manage Global Climate Change: This
work focuses on the design of regulatory systems to match the scientific,
economic and political complexity of global environmental problems.
For example, in work with Richard Stewart of New York University,
Jonathan Wiener proposed a new approach to climate change policy
in which the US would contribute significantly to global greenhouse
gas abatement by engaging China and other developing countries in
an international emissions trading regime parallel to the Kyoto
Protocol. Their proposed approach builds on the strengths of the
Kyoto Protocol while addressing its shortcomings. May 12 Conference | Reconstructing Climate Policy Book |
|
| b. Certification Institutions: This project analyzes the emergence and impact of new standards and organizations intended to "certify" the environmental acceptability of production practices, such as sustainable forestry codes, marine stewardship codes, the chemical industry's Responsible Care program. The primary emphasis is on certification outside of traditional governmental authority. The Center co-organized the 7th Annual Environmental Law & Institutions Colloquium at Duke on December 7-8, 2001, on the topic "Certification Institutions and Private Governance: New Dynamics in the Global Protection of Workers and the Environment." |
|
| The event and related research project were sponsored by The Ford Foundation with co-sponsorship from the Duke Center for Environmental Solutions, Nicholas School of the Environment & Earth Sciences, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, School of Law, and Vice Provost for International Affairs and Development. The colloquium presented the work of the Duke Project on Social and Environmental Certification led by three Duke scholars: Gary Gereffi (Sociology), Ronie Garcia Johnson (Nicholas) and Erika Sasser (Nicholas). It brought together over 45 scholars, policymakers, business leaders, non-governmental organization experts, and certification institution leaders to discuss social and environmental certification of forest products, industrial practices, and consumer products including coffee and sportswear. "This was the most productive conference ever held on the topic of certification," proclaimed one participant. Additional interdisciplinary research on measuring the effectiveness of certification institutions is currently under design by a multidisciplinary team of Duke faculty. | |
|
c. Evaluating Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation: This interdisciplinary research project will evaluate the effectiveness of international to local strategies for biodiversity conservation. This research will be conducted by a multidisciplinary partnership between university faculty and individuals from conservation organizations, government agencies, corporations and multilateral institutions. Duke faculty expected to participate are affiliated with the Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences, the Sanford Institute for Public Policy, the Fuqua School of Business and the Duke Law School. |
|
| We will develop a conceptual framework and theoretical model for how to measure the site-specific and relative effectiveness of a broad range of conservation actions, taking into account the complex social and ecological environment in which conservation takes place. Specific measures of effectiveness will be proposed for each specific conservation goal and specific conservation approach being evaluated. While the most important indicator of success will reflect the status of the biodiversity target, we expect to include additional indicators and outcome variables that are biological, ecological, social, political, and financial. The framework will provide a way to identify the full costs (measured in a variety of ways) and full benefits (also measured with a number of indices) of different approaches to conserving biodiversity. It will address how to use static measures in dynamic natural and social systems. | |
| We will then apply the appropriate subset of measures of effectiveness to at different approaches to conservation in different biogeographic regions. Likely approaches to evaluate include the use of direct payments for conservation outcomes and the creation of protected areas. We will continually modify the conceptual framework and specific effectiveness measures to reflect what was learned during application. | |
3.
|
Interdisciplinary Research Grants: |
| In an effort to solicit new ideas and new partnerships, the Center supports other Duke faculty and students with small grants. Small grants can be a cost-effective way both to stimulate new collaborations across schools and departments, and also to achieve important research results. | |
| a.
Information-Based Approaches to Regulation: In the
2000- 2001 fiscal year, the Center awarded a seed grant Professor
Jay Hamilton (Public Policy) to help develop a new research project
on information disclosure as an approach to environmental protection.
Professor Hamilton used his grant to hire an assistant to help
prepare a successful proposal to the National Science Foundation
for "Assessing the Accuracy of Self-Reported Pollution Data."
|
|
| b.
Seed Grants Awarded in 2002: Early in 2002 the Center
issued a widely circulated request
for proposals inviting collaboration between Duke affiliates
and individuals from other academic, non-profit, private sector
and government institutions. Proposed activities had to address
a critical environmental issue that requires interdisciplinary
analysis and action. A focus on the role and design of institutions
involved in solving environmental problems was encouraged. Eligible
activities included research, preliminary analysis and pilot projects
that will be used for proposals to leverage additional external
funding, and analyses or evaluations of environmental programs
or policies. The Center received 28 proposals - 14 from faculty
and 14 from graduate students. The Center's Executive Committee
reviewed all the proposals and approved 10 for support - 4 from
faculty and 6 from graduate students. It is expected that these
grants will lead to new Center projects and collaborations. Grantees
include faculty with backgrounds in marine affairs, engineering,
environmental chemistry and economics. |
| |
||
| Jon Eisen-Hecht | Ph.D. Candidate, Nicholas School | |
| A Hierarchical Bayes Approach to Modeling Landowner Decision-making: A Study of Wetland Restoration Program | ||
| Marion Hourdequin | Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Philosophy | |
| Values,
Policy and Conservation Biology: Assessing the connections and
preparing scientists to navigate the stormy seas. |
||
| Christopher Liese | Ph.D. Candidate, Nicholas School | |
| Renewable Resource Exploitation in a Developing Country: Motives, Markets, and Migration in a Coral Reef Fishery | ||
| Justin Pearlman | Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Political Science | |
| Environmental Regulation in Latin America: Economic Internationalization and Domestic Political Institutions | ||
| Benjamin Poulter | Ph.D. Candidate, Nicholas School | |
| Carbon Credits as Incentives for Sustainable Forestry in The Southern Appalachians, USA | ||
| Karineh Samkian | Masters student, Environmental Management | |
| Evaluation of Watershed and Small Marina Impacts on Bacterial Contamination of Estuarine Waters | ||
| Randy Kramer | Professor
of Resource and Environmental Economics |
|
| Health
and Environment in Rural Indonesia |
||
| Michael Orbach | Professor
of Marine Affairs and Policy |
|
| Assessing
the Performance of EEZs: Fisheries Management, Trade and Human
Livelihoods |
||
| November
6 to 8, 2004 - Duke University Assessing the Performance of Ocean Exclusive Economic Zones: Fisheries Management, Trade, and Human Livelihoods Organizer: Meg McKean, Assoc. Professor, Political Science Conference information |
||
| Andrew Schuler | Professor
of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
|
| Characterization
of Phosphorus Removal Metabolisms in Wastewater Treatment, Sediment,
and Dental Environments: an Interdisciplinary Approach |
||
| Dharni Vasudevan | Professor
of Environmental Chemistry |
|
| The
Missing Link: Measuring Lead in Soil from Historic Mobile Source Deposition |
||
