A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators considered critical to the passage of legislation to limit U.S. greenhouse gas emissions has introduced a proposal to reduce costs and provide oversight to the new emissions permit trading market.  Using analysis by the Nicholas Institute, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and John Warner (R - Va.) introduced a bill on July 24 to minimize any negative economic impacts to consumers and industry of the transition to a lower-carbon economy while achieving critical environmental goals. To read more about the proposal, including a Nicholas Institute white paper on it and testimony by Nicholas Institute Director Tim Profeta to the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee on global warming and wildlife, go here.

Looking for a source of concise, straightforward information on marine conservation and policy issues? Bookmark http://www.RealOceans.org in your Web browser. The Nicholas Institute launched the site as an online knowledge base for policymakers, conservationists and others who need access to reliable scientific and economic analysis and commentary, but don't have time to wade through hundreds of Web sites, scientific journals and media reports to find it. Managed by Rafe Sagarin, associate director of ocean and coastal policy, it features a wealth of useful materials, including summaries of peer-reviewed studies and legislative briefs. 

The Nicholas Institute's reputation continues to grow as a source of timely, unbiased media commentary on environmental policy. Nicholas School researcher Prasad Kasibhatla was quoted in the Washington Post recently about his work with the Institute to assess the potential of existing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Brian Murray, director for economic analysis, has been tapped by the Raleigh News & Observer to answer readers' questions about the economics of climate change. Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute, was quoted in The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune about the pros and cons of energy bills now pending in Congress, and in Newsweek about continued efforts by special interests to discredit the science of global warming among policymakers. You can read these and other recent articles online by going to http://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/news/ and scrolling down the list of news stories.