Energy & Environment: New America Events

Competing in the Green Economy

Communications — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/14/2008 - 3:00pm

With our current renewable energy policy, the U.S. risks losing its competitive edge in the green economy. Applied Materials President and CEO Michael Splinter asserts that doing nothing is neither a strategy, nor a policy and he will discuss innovative solutions to create new green-collar jobs and re-establish the U.S. as a technology leader.

The Presidential Candidates' Domestic Policy Plans

Communications — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
04/29/2008 - 8:30am

On Tuesday the 29th of April, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, in association with the New America Foundation, American University and the Tax Foundation, hosted an event concerning the major domestic policy issues facing the nation before the upcoming presidential election. Focusing on the candidates’ policy proposals, the event featured four panels of policy experts. The first three—on climate change, health care, and tax reform—featured independent experts from across the political spectrum, expressing varied and often contradictory views on their issues of expertise. The final panel featured economic advisors from the campaigns themselves, who gave the audience a glimpse of the candidates’ views on these important policy issues.

The first panel, moderated by David Wessel of the Wall Street Journal, concerned climate change policy. The panelists, William Pizer of Resources for the Future, Nikki Roy of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and Robert McNally of the Tudor Investment Corporation agreed that all three candidates had promising positions on the issue from the perspective of an environmentalist. At the same time, all three expressed skepticism about the candidates’ commitment to the issue. Pizer pointed out that there are four major components to a national environmental policy—cost, competitiveness, allocation and treatment of preexisting state-level climate policies—that will make climate legislation difficult to design and equally difficult to move through congress. Roy complained that none of the candidates were campaigning on the issue, despite supporting it on their websites. Without putting it out front in the campaign, he suggested, the candidates would not have the political capital to push legislation through once they are elected. McNally added that whatever legislation eventually passed would take years to do so, and that eventual success might have to be driven by a small energy crisis, such as widespread brown-outs in major cities. In the end, the panelists agreed that the scientific community had reached a strong consensus, but disagreed about whether the American public would continue to support climate change policy as it drives up energy bills.

The second panel, also moderated by Wessel, featured a discussion on healthcare reform from John Sheils of the Lewin Group, Joe Antos of the American Enterprise Institute, and Len Nichols of the New America Foundation. Sheils spoke first, discussing the employer tax exclusion for health insurance and the problems associated with it. In addition to costing around $250 billion in forgone public revenue, he explained, the exclusion is regressive and leads to over-purchasing of health insurance. It could be improved, he suggested, by replacing the exclusion with a standard deduction or tax credit. Nichols and Antos spoke next, taking turns discussing the good and bad parts of the Presidential candidates’ proposals. Nichols spoke favorably of McCain’s willingness to propose supply-side delivery system reforms and his decision to use the existing employer tax exclusion funds to subsidize individuals through a tax credit, rather than a tax deduction. At the same time, Nichols expressed concerns that McCain’s proposal to allow insurance to be purchased across state lines would leave insurance inaccessible for some Americans, particularly the sick, and disappointment that McCain has not discussed covering all Americans as a goal. Antos liked that the Democrats focused on bringing down healthcare costs and included some elements of consumerism, and was also happy that neither was claiming universal coverage as a free lunch. At the same time, he felt their plans include promises which couldn’t be kept, such as universal coverage and insurance “as good as your Congressman’s,” while over-regulating, overspending, and providing a back-door to single-payer healthcare.

The third panel, on tax policy, was moderated by Rudy Penner of the Urban Institute. Penner gave opening remarks, and then handed the microphone over to Alex Brill of the American Enterprise Institute, Len Burman of the Tax Policy Center and Scott Hodge of the Tax Foundation. All three agreed that tax policy is reaching a crucial point, with the Bush tax cuts expiring, the AMT reaching millions of new taxpayers every year, and the costs of government rising. Both Brill and Hodge supported McCain’s proposal to lower the corporate rate, citing its positive effect on growth and American competitiveness. Burman had few kind words for the current slate of policies the candidates have proposed, reserving particular disapproval for McCain’s gas-tax-holiday proposal, which Clinton has since supported. Following their opening remarks on the candidates’ plans, the panelists discussed the potential for a value added tax (VAT) to help solve some of these problems. All three agreed that it could be a useful tool, with Burman suggesting that it might help pay for health care, and Hodge saying that it could cover some of the cost of lowering the corporate tax rate.

The final panel, also moderated by Penner, featured a discussion between the economic advisors of the remaining presidential candidates, including Brian Deese, Dan Tarullo, and Kevin Hassett of the Clinton, Obama, and McCain campaigns, respectively. All three representatives believed his candidate would be best for the economy, but set out different economic goals. According to Tarullo, Obama’s policies will aim to foster a stable environment for economic growth, relief for the middle class, improved productivity, and a sustainable international economic environment. McCain, according to Hassett, would lower tax rates and improve the tax code to encourage economic growth and international competitiveness, while ensuring that lower taxes are accompanied by smaller government. Deese, finally, explained Clinton’s goals of addressing the “middle-class squeeze,” increasing the international attractiveness, restoring fiscal responsibility, and ensuring proactive and pragmatic executive leadership to address economic problems as they come.

-Marc Goldwein and Paul McLaughlin, Program Associates for the Fiscal Policy Program

CA Event: How Do/Should We Tax?

Communications — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:34:00 -0500

A New America Event
02/27/2008 - 8:30am

California has a tax system largely fixed in place during the Great Depression, in an industrial economy-setting unconcerned with environmental sustainability. Two questions about this tax system are posed here: First, can California find ways to raise the revenue it needs in the 21st century that are a better fit with our high-tech, service-based economy than is the current system? Second, can California's tax/fee structure be used to meet the state's greenhouse gas emissions under its AB 32 guidelines?

On Feb. 27, 2008, the New America Foundation and the University of California Center in Sacramento hosted a half-day conference with experts discussing these pressing questions. An MP3 audio recording of the full event, as well as presentation materials and conference articles released at this event, are available below.

California Event: White Certificates

Communications — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
09/19/2007 - 10:00am

As California searches for market-based incentives for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions, white certificates -- tradable certificates representing one megawatt of verified electrical savings --are emerging as a promising policy option.

In this one-day seminar, nationally known experts will discuss the benefits and complications of white certificates as well as the ways in which white certificate programs affect incentives for energy efficiency. Following the presentations, Bill Prindle of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy will lead a robust discussion on the future of white certificates and California.

This event is hosted by Commissioner Rosenfeld’s office at the California Energy Commission and it is a joint presentation of the CEC, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and the New America Foundation.

If you have questions, call or email Claudie Kiti Bustamante at (916) 448-5189 or Bustamante@newamerica.net.

To watch a live webcast of this event, please visit the California Energy Commission website.

Informing the U.S. Energy Policy Debate

Communications — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:20:00 -0400

A New America Event
07/16/2007 - 9:00am

America’s continuing growing demand for energy is facing an upward climb of oil and gas prices, competition for energy from countries like China and India, and concerns about CO2 emissions, global warming and its impacts. We are now engaged in heightened discussions about energy use and alternative and renewable sources of energy in the U.S. political landscape. Unfortunately, the space for broad and honest debate is often clouded by political ideologies, difficulty in understanding the data that is available, and biased presentations by special interests that focus narrowly on aspects of the nature and severity of the challenges and how best to address them.

At this seminar, the Millennium Institute will unveil the new Threshold 21-USA (T21-USA) model that provides a transparent and comprehensive means to assess the broader benefits and impacts of the various options in a non-partisan manner. It is a dynamic framework that helps guide energy policy formulation by showing results through long term and across-the-board scenarios. T21-USA informs the policymaking process by revealing the results of alternative energy policies and options in the future, and demonstrating their implications for the economy, the environment, and society under different assumptions. The meeting will show how several current energy policies will work out over time and discuss how others can be developed and tested. It will include a discussion of the model’s structure and relationships by experts in the public and private sectors. Realistic applications of the model will also be presented.

From Silicon to Photovoltaics

Communications — Thu, 31 May 2007 04:02:00 -0400

A New America Event
06/05/2007 - 1:00pm

Hailed by many as the greatest business opportunity of the 21st Century, "clean tech" may offer more than just an economic engine; it offers an opportunity to benefit people around the world. Applied Materials CEO Michael Splinter will discuss the importance of solar power as a meaningful part of a comprehensive American energy strategy.

Michael Splinter is President and CEO of Applied Materials, Inc. Splinter, a 30-year veteran of the semiconductor industry, previously served as an executive at Intel Corporation. Currently, he serves on the board of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International and he is the Board Chair of Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Internationally, Splinter is a member of the Governors' Council of the World Economic Forum.

Video of this engaging discussion on the future of solar energy is available at right.

Is Energy Efficiency the Answer?

Communications — Wed, 16 May 2007 23:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/17/2007 - 9:30am

In an era of increasingly high oil and gas prices, concerns about CO² emissions, and uncertainty about the security of supply, energy policy has come to dominate political discourse around the world. To date, the energy debate has centered largely on how to secure future energy supply and how to finance research into alternative sources of fuel. While these concerns are important, no energy policy will succeed without first mining our immense energy efficiency opportunities. After all, what's the point of increasing supplies that are destined to be wasted?

The good news is that there is a very large opportunity to moderate energy demand growth in economically attractive ways--and, in the process, cut CO₂ emissions. Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) kicked off the event with a major announcement and speech on energy, security and climate policy for the United States. And the McKinsey Global Institute unveiled the findings of their ground-breaking report Curbing Global Energy Demand Growth: The Energy Productivity Opportunity, offering a new fact base and policy options to curb energy demand.

To read Gov. Richardson's keynote address, please click here.

The Petro Mirage

Communications — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/16/2007 - 3:00pm

Over the past decade, improving the development and governance in oil-producing countries has become an international project encompassing everything from the NGO-lead Publish What You Pay campaign, to transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, "future generations" accounts for oil royalties, the World Bank's model project in Chad, and even Hugo Chavez's attempt at refocussing Venezuela's national oil company on local development projects. While a consensus has evolved around the problems that oil poses for development, the solutions are still a work in progress.

While researching her book Oil On the Brain: Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline, Lisa Margonelli investigated the confluence of economic, political, and environmental issues that impede development in countries including Venezuela, Chad, Iran and Nigeria. An Irvine Fellow at the New America Foundation, Margonelli kicked off a discussion on the relationship between petrostate leaders and the psychological aspects of living in an oil state, the relationship between corruption and government institutions including tax collections, the "new" nationalism in oil states, and the emerging relationship between violence and oil prices. The discussion also addressed the status of the Chad project as a "model," and whether Venezuela's new initiatives are encouraging development or merely creating a new system of patronage.

Video of this event is available at right, while an MP3 audio recording can be downloaded below.

California Event: Oil on the Brain

Communications — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
04/05/2007 - 12:00pm

Americans consume 10,000 gallons of gasoline a second: three gallons per person per day. New America Irvine Fellow Lisa Margonelli spent three years tracing the path that petroleum takes from oil fields far away to the gas tanks of California drivers. In her book Oil On the Brain she examines the history, chemistry, economics, politics and culture of oil to look at where our relationship to petroleum is taking us.

At this Sacramento event, Margonelli described her travels and discuss ed opportunities to change the status quo, particularly in California. High gas prices may be a chance for policy makers to offer radical new energy policies. She talked about one opportunity to make efficiency gains tradable, so that companies can work towards energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction while stimulating technology and creating jobs.

An MP3 audio recording of this event can be downloaded below. For more information on Oil on the Brain, please click here.

Oil on the Brain

Communications — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:37:00 -0500

A New America Event
02/12/2007 - 12:15pm

From the days of the 1970s OPEC oil embargo to the recent spikes in gas prices, and the constantly evolving and volatile situation in the Middle East, it seems everyone has “oil on the brain.” Yet, despite the fact that our daily lives are inextricable from oil -- the U.S. alone burns through 10,000 gallons of gasoline a second, or three gallons per person per day -- many of us have only limited knowledge of the substance often referred to as liquid gold.

In Oil on the Brain: Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline, Lisa Margonelli trains a journalist's eye on the industry that drives our economy. Knee deep in the politics, chemistry, economics, and culture of petroleum, Margonelli draws on interviews with gas station owners, truckers, drillers, oil billionaires, NYMEX employees, members of the Niger Delta, Iranian workers, Venezuelan villagers, and Chinese automobile designers to bring new understanding to the substance that many of us take for granted.

A review in the San Francisco Chronicle (2/4/07) declares:

Surprising nuggets...come by the fistful in "Oil on the Brain," Lisa Margonelli's illuminating, entertaining stories of "people who oversee oil's long journey to our cars." Starting at her neighborhood filling station, she scurries up the pump like Alice down the rabbit hole, to discover and chronicle the delivery trucks, refineries, drilling rigs, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the oil market and, most tellingly, the voracious consumers, who daily go about changing the world with as much concern as they give that hidden penny.

At this D.C. book launch event, Skip Laitner, former EPA official and expert on climate change and energy consumption, provided opening remarks and moderated a lively question and answer session.

Setting America Free... From Dubious Energy Security Thinking

Communications — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 12:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/26/2006 - 9:00am

From Venezuela to Russia, the increasing control that state-owned companies exercise over world oil and gas reserves is empowering some energy exporters to act with increasing boldness against U.S. interests and policies. In a recent article for The National Interest, Flynt Leverett and Pierre Noël argue that U.S. foreign policy is ill-suited to cope with the challenges to American leadership that flow from the new petropolitics because current policy does not take energy security seriously as a foreign policy issue or prioritize energy security in relation to other foreign policy goals.

While each of the individual developments is challenging to U.S. interests, Leverett and Noël contend that the various threads of petropolitics are now coming together in an emerging "axis of oil" that is acting as a counterweight to American hegemony on a widening range of issues. At the center of this undeclared but increasingly assertive axis is a growing geopolitical partnership between Russia (a major energy producer) and China (the paradigmatic rising consumer) against what both perceive as excessive U.S. unilateralism.

Video of this event is available at right, while an MP3 audio recording and Noel's presentation slides can be downloaded below.

Illusion and Reality in the Middle East

Communications — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
09/05/2006 - 12:15pm

At this recent New America event, Flynt Leverett, former National Security Council Senior Director of Middle East affairs and Middle East expert with the current Administration's Policy Planning Staff, outlined a compelling vision for a U.S. recovery strategy for the region in this special event with American Strategy Program Director Steven Clemons.

The discussion elaborated on Leverett's cover story for The American Prospect, which makes a cogent case for the return of a realist-based foreign policy that would empower Middle East moderates and marginalize radicals through diplomatic means. Leverett argues that the U.S. must directly engage with Syria and Iran sooner rather than later by aiming to re-establish U.S.-Syrian cooperation on strategic regional issues and by pursuing a “grand bargain” with Iran, and must articulate a more substantive vision for a solution to the Palestine question.

Michael Tomasky, Senior Editor for The American Prospect, provided introductory comments, New America's Steven Clemons moderated.

Skeptical Environmentalism

Communications — Tue, 11 Mar 2003 15:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
03/11/2003 - 12:03pm

Statistician Bjorn Lomborg has been severely and widely criticized by environmental groups, the media and even by the Danish Committee on Scientific Dishonesty for his controversial theories on the state of the environment. The relentless attacks on Lomborg are instructive because they demonstrate the refusal of conventional science to embrace research or data that doesn't support the worst-case environmental scenarios.

Please join us as Bjorn Lomborg reflects on the research having brought him to these conclusions and the controversy they have caused.

Strange Bedfellows?

Communications — Wed, 20 Nov 2002 11:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/20/2002 - 12:00pm

Over Labor Day weekend 2002, while Americans focused on the prospect of war with Iraq, the first anniversary of September 11, and the last days of their summer vacations, thousands of government officials, non-governmental advocates, and business executives gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa for the third global summit on the environment. With the world?s attention elsewhere, the World Summit on Sustainable Development was an anticlimactic conclusion to three decades of global environmental activism. What did emerge from Johannesburg was a new debate. Many governments -- most notably the United States-and some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) argued that voluntary partnerships between business, governments, and NGOs were the best way to make concrete progress on sustainable development. More than 60 such partnerships were announced at the Summit. Other NGOs condemned this approach as an abdication of governments' responsibilities to solve problems and to hold global corporations accountable for their behavior. In the words of Greenpeace, "big business and polluting governments like the U.S. have joined forces in Johannesburg once again to... undermine any attempts to make corporations accountable for the devastation they bring."

Is this a realistic method of achieving sustainable development or a ploy for government to wash its hands of environmental responsibility? Please join us as Glenn Prickett investigates this debate.

The Role of Regulation

Communications — Wed, 23 Oct 2002 12:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/23/2002 - 12:00pm

The wave of financial liberalization which is closely linked with the ongoing process of globalization has indirectly led to significant environmental impacts. At the same time this increasingly free flow of capital has undermined the ability of national regulations to mitigate these problems. This talk proposed a framework for thinking about the environmental effects of international financial flows and for designing beneficial regulations.

Environmentalism for Sale

Communications — Mon, 17 Jun 2002 15:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
06/17/2002 - 12:06pm

Please join us as Ricardo Bayon and John Shilling explore innovative ways to convert sustainability into a valued service in the marketplace. They will discuss the ingenuity and capital required to create demand and profit for environmental services. Furthermore, utilizing examples of successful and unsuccessful endeavors, both at home and abroad, they will identify the market conditions and interventions necessary to foster the growth and success of these environmental businesses.

The New Economy of Nature

Communications — Thu, 18 Apr 2002 12:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
04/18/2002 - 12:00pm

Why shouldn't people who deplete our natural assets have to pay, and those who protect them reap profits? Conservation-minded entrepreneurs and others around the world are beginning to ask just that question, as the increasing scarcity of natural resources becomes a tangible threat to our own lives and our hopes for our children. The New Economy of Nature brings together Gretchen Daily, one of the world's leading ecologists, with Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, to offer an engaging and informative look at a new "new economy" -- a system recognizing the economic value of natural systems and the potential profits in protecting them.

Through engaging stories from around the world, the authors introduce readers to a diverse group of people who are pioneering new approaches to conservation. Daily and Ellison describe the dynamic interplay of science, economics, business, and politics that is involved in establishing these new approaches and examine what will be needed to create successful models and lasting institutions for conservation. The New Economy of Nature presents a fundamentally new way of thinking about the environment and about the economy, and with its fascinating portraits of charismatic pioneers, it is as entertaining as it is informative.