Climate change poses a significant challenge to the United States, requiring the nation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time that it recovers from an economic downturn, exhausts its end-of-pipe solutions for pollution and faces complex global climate and energy issues. A new Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions' report outlines regulatory strategies that could be implemented under the Clean Air Act to help states and emissions sources accelerate the deployment of new and innovative clean energy technologies in conjunction with forthcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules.  

Using biogas as a fossil fuel substitute can mitigate the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A new Nicholas Institute report aims to answer the question of whether, and under what conditions, a substantial, decentralized domestic biogas market could develop in the United States by 2040. 

Due to weather advisories, the March 3 talk by Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs at the U.S. Department of State, on "Global Environmental Challenges: National Interests and International Actions" is canceled.

Rooftop solar prices have dropped precipitously over the past few years, making renewable energy more accessible at the household level. A new Bass Connections project, led by Nicholas Institute staff and other Duke University colleagues, will aid the university in achieving targeted emissions reductions through the creation of a program that empowers employees to utilize rooftop solar.  

A new article in Marine Policy identifies junctures at which valuation can inform policy making and planning. Lessons are drawn from the development and use of environmental valuation and cost-benefit analysis for policy making in the United States and the United Kingdom.

What should the Duke community expect when its data collides with politics? Billy Pizer, faculty fellow at the Nicholas Institute, discussed the challenges and rewards of politically charged research at an event hosted by Duke's Forum for Scholars & Publics.

The Swedish government and the Nicholas Institute hosted a conference in December 2013 that revealed the degree to which businesses and governments are attempting to simultaneously improve ocean health, human well-being and the profitability of business. A new paper by the two organizations captures a sample of the keynote remarks of the day in essays that detail efforts to power the shipping industry's ocean fleet with alternative fuels and initiatives to address marine pollution and ocean acidification.