Duke Named to U.S. Water Partnership 

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University is among the newest members of the U.S. Water Partnership. Launched by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on World Water Day 2012, the public-private partnership is designed to share knowledge and leverage resources to find solutions to global water accessibility challenges. The partnership places special emphasis on water issues in the developing world, a core focus of the Nicholas Institute. 

Biofuels Study Featured in Journal 

A new article in the journal Energy Policy investigates the impacts of the U.S. renewable fuel standard and several alternative biofuel policy designs on global greenhouse gas emissions from land use change and agriculture over the 2010-2030 horizon. It finds that climate benefits from U.S. ethanol mandates are largely negated as other countries clear lands for agricultural use.

Talk: Tax Reform, Climate Policy

Nicholas Institute Faculty Fellow Billy Pizer was among a panel of leading economic experts on fiscal and environmental policy, convened by Resources for the Future, to discuss the role a carbon tax might play in coming debates about how to reform the U.S. tax code. 

Deploying Low-Carbon Coal Technologies

There is a pressing need for technology improvements that make it cost-effective for coal-fired power plants to capture carbon emissions. A new paper, the second in the "Deploying Low-Carbon Coal Technologies Series," not only looks at factors affecting domestic coal-fired generation and provides an overview of carbon dioxide emission projections associated with the existing fleet of coal-fired power plants, but also highlights near-term policy choices.

Water and Climate Change in Africa 

Units across Duke University, including the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, recently hosted a two-day workshop aimed at addressing how climate change could affect water availability and quality in Africa. Catch up on conversation and photos captured during the workshop via Storify. 

NC PEV Taskforce Honors Staffer 

Larry Shirley, director of operations and planning at the Nicholas Institute, was recently honored by the North Carolina Plug-In Vehicle Taskforce for his efforts to accelerate the deployment of PEVs in the state. He co-led the taskforce prior to joining the Nicholas Institute.

Paper Ranks Impact of Transportation 

Transportation activity generates nearly 30 percent of United States greenhouse gas emissions and nearly the same share of energy consumption. A new Nicholas Institute report presents a first-of-its-kind ranking of gasoline cost vulnerability, or the measure of the economic impact of transportation on typical residents of metropolitan regions.