Presentations

Battery Park City Authority | Report A Sustainable Transportation Future | Report Solid Waste Manage-ment Alternatives For New York City | Report Reducing Transaction Costs | Report Water Quality Problems and Solutions in NY Harbor: Analyzing the Role of Wastewater |  Report

Environmental Science and Policy MPAs Present the Results of their Workshop Projects

From collaboration with the United Nations to the Battery Park City Authority, students in the MPA program in Environmental Science and Policy have worked all semester on real-world environmental projects that will affect both local and international communities.  On April 20th from 9AM to 11AM in IAB 1501, students will host their final presentations for the semester-long Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis, the cap-stone to the students’ year-long MPA program in Environmental Science and Policy. The Workshop gives students the opportunity to apply the strategic thinking and management skills they have learned to real-world projects in the service of public and nonprofit agencies.

Students have worked with five different organizations to develop various proposals for issues ranging from waste management to hybrid vehicle use.  One team has worked with the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development to examine methods to diminish the transaction costs of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which works to reduce and remove carbon in developing countries.  Under the supervision of Professor Bruce Chadwick, this group will present their conclusions on reduction methods such as bilateral agreements and the enlargement of small-scale CDM projects.

Working with the NYC Economic Development Corporation, and advised by Professor Steven Cohen, another team has researched five cases of the successful siting new waste management facilities in four nations to identify lessons for New York City.  They will discuss their conclusions on management possibilities including anaerobic digestion and gasification.

The National Resources Defense Council has enlisted a group to develop a plan that will make NYC a model for reducing emissions from the city’s taxicab fleet.  The group is advised by Professor Lewis Gilbert and one result of their work will be a new piece of legislation soon to be considered by the NYC Council.

To assess technologies and strategies for innovative Green Building, one group has worked closely with the Battery Park City Authority under the advisement of Professor Tanya Heikkila.  The team has researched energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, and operations and maintenance.

Facing the problem of nutrient overload and potential wetland loss, the NY/NJ Clean Ocean Trust has enlisted a final group to ascertain the impact of treated sewage water on the waterways.  Under the supervision of Professor Heikkila, this team will present its solutions to control nutrient levels, including the extension of the outflow pipe into the Atlantic.

The Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy trains sophisticated public managers and policymakers, who apply innovative, systems-based thinking to environmental issues. The program challenges students to think systemically and act pragmatically. To meet this challenge, the program emphasizes practical skills and is enriched by ecological and planetary science.^{ogical and planetary science.}