New Approaches on Energy and the Environment Policy Advice for the President

About this book

From the publisher's announcement:

Written by an internationally renowned team of economists and policy analysts at Resources for the Future, a Washington D.C. think-tank with a tradition for independent, objective research, this collection of twenty-five "memos to the President" offers constructive policy options for the elected administration on critical challenges related to energy, the environment, and natural resources.

Each contributor to New Approaches on Energy and the Environment was asked to address the question: "Based on your own research and knowledge, what policy recommendation would you like to make to the next U.S. president?" Writing in advance of the 2004 election so as to keep their essays free of partisan interpretations, the authors were asked not to confine their suggestions to what the prevailing wisdom says is politically possible. They also took pains to make their ideas accessible to a busy president as well as a wide range of readers interested in a concise and authoritative overview of the nation's energy and environmental policy choices. The results are provocative, sometimes controversial, but highly readable essays on topics including climate change, oil dependency, electricity regulation, brownfields revitalization, forest service administration, air and water quality, and environmental health issues such as food safety and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. The president confronts competing perspectives about the priorities and approaches that should apply to energy and the environmental policy: Americans want cleaner air and water and healthy and attractive surroundings, but they also want inexpensive fuel, comfortable cars and houses, and continued economic growth. New Approaches on Energy and the Environment provides thought-provoking, common-sense contributions to debates about important energy and environmental issues confronting the U.S. today.

Reviews
"At a time when America desperately needs to overcome its addiction to oil, Resources for the Future has prepared a valuable compendium of policy alternatives. New Approaches on Energy and the Environment presents an exciting array of options in the clear, concise manner White House decisionmakers need to make choices that will move the United States towards an energy-secure future."--John D. Podesta, president and chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress, and former chief of staff to President William J. Clinton

"A healthy democracy depends on periodic infusions of fresh, innovative proposals into the marketplace of ideas. There they will be discussed, debated, examined, and ultimately embraced, amended, or discarded. These wide-ranging memos from serious scholars represent useful, much needed, and timely contributions to this marketplace."--Roger B. Porter, IBM Professor of Business and Government, Harvard University, and former assistant to President George H. W. Bush for economic and domestic policy

Author Information
Richard D. Morgenstern is a senior fellow at Resources for the Future. Paul R. Portney is president and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future.

Contents

Foreword Robert E. Grady and Frank E. Loy Introduction Richard D.Morgenstern and Paul R. Portney Part I. Energy and Climate 1. Taking the Lead on Climate Change Robert W. Fri 2. Stimulating Technology to Slow Climate Change Raymond J. Kopp, Richard D.Morgenstern, Richard G.Newell, and William A. Pizer 3. A Carbon Tax to Reduce the Deficit Dallas Burtraw and Paul R. Portney 4. Slaking Our Thirst for Oil Ian Parry and Joel Darmstadter 5. Stimulating Renewable Energy: A "Green Power" Initiative Joel Darmstadter 6. Rewarding Automakers for Fuel Economy Improvements Carolyn Fischer and Paul R. Portney 7. Making Electricity Markets Competitive: How Fast and by Whom? Timothy J. Brennan Part II. Environment, Health, and Safety 8. Cleaning Up Power Plant Emissions Dallas Burtraw and Karen L. Palmer 9. Pay-As-You-Drive for Car Insurance Winston Harrington and Ian Parry 10. State Innovation for Environmental Improvements: Experimental Federalism Winston Harrington, Karen L. Palmer, and Margaret Walls 11. Pay as You Slow: Road Pricing to Reduce Traffic Congestion Ian Parry and Elena Safirova 12. Focus on Particulates More Than Smog Alan J. Krupnick 13. A New Approach to Air Quality Management Alan J. Krupnick and Jhih-Shyang Shih 14. Redirecting Superfund Dollars Katherine N. Probst 15. A Broader View of Brownfield Revitalization Kris Wernstedt 16. Modernizing the Food Safety System Michael R. Taylor 17. Performance Standards for Food Safety Sandra A.Hoffmann and Alan J. Krupnick Part III. Natural Resources 18. Streamlining Forest Service Planning Roger A. Sedjo 19. Smarter Budgeting for Space Missions Molly K. Macauley 20. Getting Serious About Antibiotic Resistance Ramanan Laxminarayan 21. Zoning the Oceans: Changing the Focus of U.S. Fisheries Management James N. Sanchirico Part IV. Information Decision Frameworks 22. Combating Ignorance About U.S. Water Quality James Boyd and Leonard Shabman 23. Create a Bureau of Environmental Statistics H. Spencer Banzhaf 24. Treading Carefully with Environmental Information Thomas C. Beierle 25. Better Evaluation of Life-Saving Environmental Regulations Maureen L. Cropper Index

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Biography

Richard D. Morgenstern focuses on the costs, benefits, and design of environmental policies. His research interests include conventional types of pollution as well as global climate change. He has served in senior policy posts in both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of State. Paul R. Portney is president of Resources for the Future and is the author or coauthor of ten books, including Public Policies for Environmental Protection. He is former chief economist at the Council on Environmental Quality.