Science, Technology, and Public Policy

Join us for a conversation about science, diplomacy, and geopolitics with Arctic Initiative Senior Fellow Fran Ulmer and Professor and Director of The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire Larry Mayer. Professor Mayer led the science team onboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, which just completed a cruise from Alaska to Greenland through the Northwest Passage. Please register to attend this event here. 

A talk with Microsoft Director of Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, Angela McKay.

Are there any circumstances under which China can be more transparent regarding nuclear deterrence and ambiguity? MTA fellow Han Hua will present a seminar on the implications of this questions. This seminar will also touch upon U.S. strategic posturing and China's attitude towards transparency.

Coffee and tea provided. Please join us - Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Mr. Saxton will elaborate on the mission of AFRICOM, which entails coordinating the kind of support that will enable African governments and existing regional organizations to have greater capacity to provide security and respond in times of need. Mr. Saxton will discuss the interplay between security and development in Africa and how a new model for civil-military cooperation can contribute to both.

Please join us! Everyone is welcome!

U.S. transportation policy is changing rapidly, motivated by concerns over climate change and energy security. Not only are economy-wide CO2 prices expected to soon be in place, but increasingly stringent performance-based standards are being proposed. Using the National Energy Modeling System, the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group has analyzed the impact of economy-wide CO2 prices in combination with transportation sector specific policy options including transportation (fuel) taxes, extended fuel economy standards, and performance-based tax credits. The results suggest that the policy options currently considered will fail to meet the "17% of 2005" GHG emissions reduction target in the Waxman-Markey Bill, or even the Obama administration's "14% of 2005" GHG emissions target. Economy-wide CO2 prices motivate large reductions in CO2 emissions from the electrical power sector but do not, on their own, result in significant reductions in CO2 emissions from transportation. Transportation taxes appear to be the most effective option for reducing GHG emissions, largely because they reduce vehicle use in addition to improving vehicle technology. On the other hand, tax credits for alternative-fuel vehicles appear to be an expensive and ineffective path to reducing CO2 emissions from transportation.

Beverages will be provided. Please come ready to discuss...

Gallagher and Collantes will present the modeling results for eight policy scenarios for reducing oil consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S. transport sector. They will present insights gained from using NEMS (National Energy Modeling System), and how these might influence future policy directions. They will also discuss limitations to NEMS, and areas for further research.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come-first served basis.