On March 2, 2005 the MPA Program in Environmental Science and Policy hosted midterm briefings for its spring Workshop in Applied Policy Analysis. Students introduced their progress on projects ranging from Hybrid Vehicle Use in New York City to Environmentally Sound Building and Development.

The spring Workshop in Applied Policy Analysis is the cap-stone to the student’s year-long MPA program. The Workshop gives students the opportunity to work on real-world environmental problems with public and nonprofit agencies. Students apply the strategic thinking and management skills they have learned to projects that affect New York City’s environmental policies. While students conducted simulations for the implementation of an environmental law or treaty during the fall semester, this is the first time that students will work with clients in a real-world setting. Faced with deadlines and client demands, students learn the importance of interpersonal relations and the need to complete projects in an effective manner.

Carbon Trading Transaction Costs Under the Kyoto Protocol – Faculty Advisor Professor Bruce Chadwick

The United Nations Division of Sustainable Development is examining methods to reduce transaction costs of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) within the Kyoto Protocol framework. The CDM works to reduce and remove carbon and to capacitate developing countries with carbon reduction tools. This team must offer recommendations for CDM projects and speculate about transaction costs in the 2nd Kyoto Protocol commitment period. To reach their conclusions, the team conducted primary research at Ecosecurities, Conservation International, and Mitsubishi, and looked at case studies involving the costs of existing pollution trading regimes. In their preliminary findings, the team concluded that reduction methods should include bilateral agreements, the reduction of barriers to entry to the carbon market, and enlargement of small-scale CDM projects.

Detailed Case Studies of the Development of New Waste Management Facilities – Faculty Advisor Professor Steven Cohen

This student team has been asked to identify cases of innovative waste disposal facilities and their application to New York City for the NYC Economic Development Corporation. The team is researching five case studies from a variety of locations, including the Ecoparc 2 Anaerobic Digestion Facility in Barcelona Spain, and the Halton Organic Waste Processing Facility in New Market, Ontario. Each case study is examined for the technology used, its environmental impacts, the facility financing, political and stakeholder positions, as well as its permitting and review process. While the team is currently in the middle of conducting research through secondary materials and telephone interviews, the next step is to determine the applicability of each waste disposal method to New York City.

Increasing Hybrid Vehicle Use in New York City – Faculty Advisor Professor Lewis Gilbert

NYC has the highest asthma mortality rate in the country and NYC children are almost twice as likely to be hospitalized for asthma. 54% of all air pollution in New York City is a result of vehicle transport. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has asked this team to propose a plan that would make NYC a model for urban passenger transport emissions reduction. The team’s objectives are to influence urban transportation evolution, bias the vehicle mix toward cleaner alternatives, and to improve public health, air quality, mass transit, and global climate. The team has conducted primary research on New York City’s environmental and public health profile, and has examined case studies in both North American and international cities, including San Francisco and London. Potential solutions include toll and congestion charges and hybrid vehicle use.

Environmentally Sound Building and Development – Faculty Advisor Professor Tanya Heikkila

To assess technologies and strategies for innovative Green Building, this team is working in close collaboration with the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA). Green Building involves the increased efficiency of construction input use, as well as a reduced impact on human health and environment. Students are researching energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, and operations and maintenance in order to design a cost-effective plan tailored to the BPCA’s needs. The team has identified methods to maximize energy efficiency through improved windows and lighting and on-site power generation, to improve indoor environmental quality through ventilation improvements and air filters, and to conserve materials through waste stream and recycling plans. The team must now conduct a cost-benefit analysis and a financial incentive and policy review for their final report.

The Extension of Regional Bay Sewage Outfalls into the Ocean – Faculty Advisor Professor Tanya Heikkila