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December 1998

New Paper Examines Implementation of the CDM Under the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation
A newly-revised discussion paper issued by RFF highlights some of the lessons learned for establishing a successful Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from the United States Initiative on Joint Implementation (USIJI) – a non-regulatory pilot program established by the Clinton Administration in 1993 for international partnership efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). (December 17, 1998)


November 1998

U.S.-Japan Workshop Addresses 'Flexibility Mechanisms' of the Kyoto Protocol
More than twenty experts from Japan and the United States met in Washington, DC, on October 19-20, 1998, to discuss several "flexibility mechanisms" of the Kyoto Protocol - Annex B emissions trading; Annex B joint implementation; and the Clean Development Mechanisms for cooperative activities with non-Annex B nations. Workshop participants also discussed broader issues related to international participation in greenhouse gas emissions reductions, including the conflicts and synergies between greenhouse gas control and sustainable development for non-Annex B developing countries. (November 10, 1998)


October 1998

Two New Papers Explore Issues Related to Emissions Trading and Energy Subsidies
Two new issue briefs published by RFF address the question of enforcing compliance in international emissions trading and the role of subsidies in environmental improvement and economic growth. (October 27, 1998)


September 1998

New Book Rigorously Reviews Socioeconomic Aspects of Climate Change in 1995 IPCC Report
A new book published by RFF assesses the economic and social aspects of climate change contained within the landmark 1995 report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (September 14, 1998)

Chesapeake Bay Projected to Receive Bonus NO_x Reductions from EPA's NO_x Trading Program
Researchers at RFF estimate that the Chesapeake Bay will benefit substantially from reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions slated to occur from the NOx emissions trading program for the eastern United States recently proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (September 9, 1998)

New Research Project Aims to Develop an Integrated System for Analyzing Carbon Trading
In a new three-year project, researchers at RFF are working to expand capacity for analyzing the performance of alternative approaches to regulating greenhouse (GHG) emissions within the U.S. using permit trading systems. (September 8, 1998)


August 1998

New Book Evaluates Sustainable Forestry Initiatives and Progress in Temperate Countries
A new book published by RFF examines international and national efforts to address forest sustainability in temperate and boreal countries and reviews the key developments affecting sustainable forestry and international trade in these regions. (August 12, 1998)

International Workshop Addresses Emissions Trading Among 'Annex B' Countries
More than 30 policy experts from the U.S., Canada, several European countries, and Japan met on June 19-20, 1998, at RFF in Washington, DC, to discuss of a number of contentious unresolved issues related to Annex B trading of greenhouse gas emissions.  (August 11, 1998)


July 1998

Independent National Survey Gauges U.S. Public Opinion About Climate Change
The newly-released results of an independent national survey sponsored by RFF confirm that most Americans believe global climate change is real and damaging and that the federal government should take significant steps to combat it.  (July 28, 1998)

Survey Results on U.S. Public Opinion About Climate Change To Be Presented
The results of a national survey that has assessed public opinion on climate change in the U.S. both before and after the international negotiations in Kyoto, Japan, last December will be presented in a public seminar at RFF. (July 22, 1998)


June 1998

New Issue Briefs Offer a Guide To Emissions Trading in the U.S.
As participants in the climate policy debate express growing interest in the use of a domestic emissions trading policy to reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), two new issue briefs released this week by Resources for the Future address a number of basic questions that must be considered in designing and implementing such a trading system. (June 29, 1998)

Carbon Permits Should Be Auctioned, Not Grandfathered, UMD Economists Argue
A working paper issued by RFF argues that an auction of carbon permits is the best way to achieve carbon caps set by international negotiation to limit global climate change. (June 24, 1998)

New RFF Report Outlines Challenges of Long-Term Stewardship of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex
Researchers in RFF's Center for Risk Management (CRM) have concluded that a long-term stewardship program for nuclear weapons sites is necessary for protection of human health and the environment. (June 3, 1998)


May 1998

RFF Economist Analyzes White House Plan for Competitive U.S. Electricity Markets
With the Comprehensive Electricity Competition Plan (CECP) that it sent to Congress in March, the Clinton Administration has laid out a set of principles to open retail electricity markets in the U.S. In a new analysis, Transforming Power Markets, posted at RFF's website, RFF's Timothy Brennan assesses how the CECP divides authority between states and federal governments, protects competition among generators, and addresses environmentalists' concerns. (May 18, 1998)

Can Pollution Prevention Investments Produce a "Win-Win" for Industry and the Environment?
Is American industry passing up opportunities to profit by operating "clean" and "green?" A new report released by RFF this week addresses this question through three case studies of pollution prevention-related decisionmaking at three multinational chemical manufacturers headquartered in the U.S. (May 11, 1998)


April 1998

Climate Change Impacts on Forests Explored in New Weathervane Essay
In their new essay, How Will Climate Change Impact the World’s Forests?, RFF's Roger Sedjo and Ohio State’s Brent Sohngen identify potential sources of forest damage from climate change and evaluate the possible socioeconomic consequences. (April 29, 1998)

RFF's Board of Directors Elects Two New Members
At its special meeting held this week, the Board of Directors for Resources for the Future (RFF) elected two new members – John M. Deutch, a former White House advisor and national security director; and Mary A. Gade, a leading environmental policymaker. (April, 24, 1998)

Long-Term Stewardship of the Nuclear Weapons Complex Addressed at RFF Workshop
More than 50 experts representing federal, state and local governments, tribal nations, environmental groups, and academia gathered at RFF on April 16-17, 1998, to discuss the challenges faced in assuring protection from risks to human health and the environment posed by hazards remaining at the nation’s nuclear weapons production sites. (April 17, 1998)

Marion Clawson, Economist and Former Government Official, Dies at 92
A former director of the U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (1948-53), Clawson was long associated with RFF where he was a senior fellow. (April 13, 1998)


March 1998

Factors Affecting the Pace of State-Level Electricity Restructuring Explored
A new paper issued by RFF looks at a variety of factors that may influence the rate at which state legislators and regulators move toward establishing retail competition among electricity suppliers. (March 24, 1998)

Impact of Energy Prices and Government Regulations on Energy-Efficient Innovations Analyzed
Bothenergy prices and government regulations have had a significant impact on energy-efficient innovations in air conditioners and gas water heaters over the last four decades, according to a new study issued by RFF.(March 19, 1998)

U.S. Pollution Control: Fragmented, Focused on the Wrong Problems, and Plagued by Poor Information
A new book published by RFF documents the progress made in controlling pollution in the U.S. over the last two decades but also finds that there are many unaddressed problems and a pressing need for a major overhaul of the regulatory system. (March 16, 1998)

White House Estimates of Climate Policy Costs Critiqued by RFF Economists
Analysis by economists at RFF shows that the Clinton Administration’s estimates of the costs of compliance with the Kyoto climate treaty are plausible. (March 13, 1998)

Innovative Transportation Projects Need Improved Evaluations
In light of the current debate in Congress over the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), a new report issued by RFF develops a plan for evaluating projects implemented as a result of ISTEA's Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) program. (March 9, 1998)

January 1998

Winter 1998 Issue of RFF's Resources Now Available
RFF's new issue of Resources addresses climate change policy; ecosystems, interest groups and the Endangered Species Act; and industrial ecology. (January 30, 1998)

RFF Researchers Ask "Does Anybody Care About Cleaning Up the Nuclear Weapons Complex?"
Researchers in RFF's Center for Risk Management have initiated a new project that has as its goal increasing public attention to the issues raised by the contamination and environmental risks left behind from decades of nuclear weapons production in the United States. (January 26, 1998)

Technological "Free Lunch" in Climate Policy Questioned by RFF Economist
As support among policymakers grows for climate change policies that can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) at low cost through the use of advanced technology, a new paper issued by RFF addresses a number of questions about designing such a policy and assessing its cost-reducing potential. (January 21, 1998)

Updated and Expanded Report Provides a "Crash Course" in Climate Change Policy
RFF today issues a revised and expanded report on climate change policy that highlights the history and the key issues resolved and those left unresolved at the UN climate meeting in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997.(January 16, 1998)