News & Blog

On October 5, 2012, HRS principal Dr. Joel S. Yudken joined Ohio University (OU) Voinovich School staff and faculty and external partners, in Columbus, Ohio to present an interactive workshop at the 4th International EcoSummit. The week-long summit is held every two years and draws leading scientists, researchers, and policymakers from around the world. Previous conferences have been held in Copenhagen, Denmark; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Beijing, China. The workshop, entitled “Management of greenhouse gases: Implications and evaluation of sustainable practices, economic growth, air quality and state, federal and international policy scenarios,” focused on evaluating greenhouse gas (GHG) management programs and environmental policies from state, regional, and international perspectives. Additionally, the team discussed “Assuring Ohio’s Competitiveness in a Carbon-Constrained World,” a report they completed in 2011 that explored the unique challenges and opportunities with which the State of Ohio is faced amidst a changing regulatory landscape. The study examined different policies that the State of Ohio could adopt to cope with these federal regulations, and conducted a statewide GHG emissions inventory and an in-depth analysis of a specific economic modeling tool used to inform these policies. Dr. Yudken presented possible strategies for helping Ohio and its energy-intensive industries remain competitive in the face of potential federal climate change programs such as a carbon tax (link to Yudken video excerpt). Along with Dr. Yudken, the presentation team included Kevin Crist, Director, Air Quality Center and Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, OU; Joseph Fiksel, Executive Director, Center for Resilience, The Ohio State University (OSU); and Geoff Dabelko, Professor and Director, Environmental Studies Program, Scott Miller, Director, Energy and Environmental Programs, and Michael Zimmer, Executive in Residence (moderator), at the OU Voinovich School.