�Spring 2007

News and Views

InsIdeLori Ribeiro working in Renewable Energy ............. 3MUSIC update ......................................................... 4Zoe Wilson, Visiting Lecturer .................................. 6Incoming EPP Students .......................................... 7Energy and the Environment Class ......................... 8Navajo Peacemaking and Natural Resources......... 9

Catherine Ashcraft in the Field ............................... 10

Awards .................................................................. 11

Recent Dissertation and Theses ............................ 11

Susskind Receieves Global Environment Award ... 12

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department of Urban studies and Planning Massachusetts Institute of Technology web.mit.edu/dusp/epp

envIronMenTal PolIcy and PlannIng sPrIng 07

The Energy Efficient City: As i’m sure you know, MiT has launched an Energy initiative -- mainly a research program designed to attract substantial corporate funding. While it is supposed to cover the gamut of energy issues, a number of us in the School of Architecture and planning feel that the effort thus far has underplayed the importance of strategies for reducing the demand for and the environmental impacts of energy development. That’s why the School-wide Committee appointed by Dean Santos has proposed something called Designing the Energy Efficient City. We feel that our School should take the lead on the campus in pressing for research, teaching and policy interventions focused on reducing the demand for fossil fuels by showing how the design of buildings, city districts, metropolitan areas and even larger regions can substantially reduce the demand for energy and the environmental impacts of energy development

The Energy Efficient City initiative will begin with a China project, a renewable Energy project, an on-going Campus project and an interdisciplinary research effort aimed at extending the technology focus of the green building design work already underway in the School of Architecture and planning. The China project will focus on a section of Bejing and examine ways in which changes in the approaches to city design and development might reduce the demand for energy.

The Campus project will focus on ways in which we can experiment with new technologies and tools (like better life cycle analysis) can reduce energy demand on the MiT

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EPP International Environmental Practicum: Environmental Justice and Water Resources in South Africa

Epp is sponsoring a practicum on environmental justice and water resources in South Africa next spring and summer. Students enrolled in the practicum will engage in preparatory work during the spring semester at MiT, followed by approximately four weeks of fieldwork in the vicinity of Durban, South Africa’s second largest city. practicum students will be responsible for collecting primary data, analyzing the data, and developing a report that details the potential benefits and constraints of the choices made by a municipality with respect to their water supply and sanitation services. The students also will analyze

Resevoir of the Ethekwini Water and Sanitation Programme in Durban, South Africa. credit: Ethekwini Water and Sanitation Programme

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studios. The renewable Energy project is one that will be of special interest to students in Epp. A number of states have recently adopted policies requiring all electricity suppliers within their border to commit to a goal of supplying 20% of all electricity from non-polluting sources by 2020. Unfortunately, this goal has mostly been adopted on the grounds that it is a worthwhile objective with little or no analysis of the desirability or impacts of various options for achieving the 2020 goal.

We propose to team up with the systems dynamics group at Sloan as well as members of the School of Engineering who work on renewable energy assessment to do the modeling and policy analysis that should have preceded the adoption of such policies. in addition, we propose to organize regional policy dialogues (that would be informed by our analysis), so that a wide range of stakeholders can be involved in considering the policy options available. All this will depend, of course, on whether our School is allocated any of the “seed money” currently being sought from large corporate donors who are being asked to underwrite the MiT Energy initiative.

Net-Energy Producing Houses: Bill and Margot Moomaw gave a great presentation at the Epp luncheon Series a few weeks ago describing their efforts to build a seriously energy efficient house (in Western Massachusetts).

Bill is a professor of Environmental policy at Tufts (and a chemist). Margot has been involved in the health planning field for many years. it took a enormously focused effort on their part to find contractors willing to work with the super-energy-efficient materials that Bill and Margot selected. They also insisted that all work on the house had to be undertaken with solar powered tools. in the end, they have built a house that is a net-energy producing structure. They walked us through the steps in their design and investment decisions and told us about the homework required to inform their choices. They have set the standard in Massachusetts for lEED platinum home design (by an individual home builder). it is incredibly exciting to see what can be accomplished when someone sets their mind to the goal of building net-energy producing houses!

Reflections on Program Groups in the Department of Urban Studies and planning. Some people think program groups create boundaries and obstacles for students who want to pursue cross-cutting themes. While i don’t think any student should be restricted from taking course work in as many program areas as they like, we should not lose sight of the important role program groups play.

Epp is one of the four program groups in the Department. The Epp faculty works hard to ensure continuity in the basic undergraduate and graduate courses offered each year for SB, MCp and pHD students. if everyone on the faculty only gave the courses he or she wanted to teach each year, students would never be able to pursue a planned course of study. So, it is up to the program groups to ensure that a sequence of courses is always available, regardless of who may be on leave. program groups lobby the Department for the funds required to make replacement appointments when someone is away.

Epp organizes a range of informal activities throughout the year designed to build community among students, faculty and staff with environment/sustainable development/renewable energy interests. We also make sure that there are sufficient thesis advisors to go around for Epp students. We raise research funds to support incoming and returning Epp students who need financial aid. DUSp aid for MCp students in Epp is more than doubled by the funds generated by the Epp faculty. Epp also helps students make connections to Epp alumni who can assist them in their job searches. We communicate what students and faculty are doing so that the rest of the campus as well as potential applicants and colleagues around the world know about our work.

Epp faculty makes sure that there is someone available to meet with all potential applicants to MiT with environmental interests. We review applications folders, and try to admit MCp and pHDs students who, together, will constitute a sufficient community to justify the courses and the research activities we have in place. if we count Associated Epp faculty (like Michael Flaxman who is also a mainstay of UiS, Anne Spirn, Eran Ben Joseph, and Terry Szold who are part of CDD, and nic Ashford who is on the Tpp faculty) we are a group of �0. We need to meet regularly to pay attention to cross-cutting interests like the new Epp Certificate program. While students in DUSp are admitted through program groups and then encouraged to become part of more than one or none at all, once they arrive at MiT, the Epp faculty needs to commit substantial administrative and personal time to ensuring that the group functions effectively. While it makes increasing sense to work on projects, teach certain courses, and encourage interventions that cut across program group interests, there wouldn’t be anything to cut across if we didn’t work equally hard to meet our program group obligations. While we need to make sure that the program groups don’t create obstacles to creative inquiry or department-wide collaboration, students and faculty need to pitch in to make sure that program groups like Epp do the important tasks assigned to them.

News and Views Continued from page 1

�Spring 2007

Lori Robeiro Working on Renewable Energy

lori ribeiro completed her Master of Science from Epp in August 2006. Her thesis was entitled, “Does it have to be so complicated? Municipal renewable energy projects in Massachusetts.” lori had direct experience through several years she had invested in developing the City of Brockton’s Brownfields to Brightfields project. in September 2006, Brockton completed installation of new England’s largest solar energy generating station – or Brightfield – on a former manufactured gas plant brownfield site.

lori is now working half time as a senior consultant at BlueWave Strategies in Boston where she is consulting with several renewable energy clients. Her first project was to help Evergreen Solar, a Massachusetts manufacturer of solar panels, to work with the state to develop and advocate for a set of policy reform and financial incentives necessary to create a robust marketplace for solar energy generation in Massachusetts. She is also consulting to a private company seeking to install two wind turbines for onsite generation, a wind project developer, and a tidal energy startup company. She has spoken to the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s Environmental policy Committee and testified before the state legislature on necessary policy reforms, using her thesis recommendations as the basis of her presentation.

in the other half of her time, lori is working with the Cambridge Energy Alliance, a new nonprofit organization formed in partnership between the Kendall Foundation and the City of Cambridge to carry out a first-in-the-nation level of energy efficiency measures in a single city. over the next five years, the Cambridge Energy Alliance will perform a $�00+ million energy efficiency implementation effort, while also installing, where feasible, new renewable and clean energy generation, and technologies that curb electricity use during peak demand periods. She is very excited to be working directly with MiT, Harvard and Whole Foods Markets. lori is also working with the City of Boston to help develop a similar program.

lori was pleased to speak at an Epp Career Forum in May to share her experiences. Although it was very difficult to complete a one-year program at DUSp as a single working parent, lori sees the benefits in her daily work and is grateful that she had the opportunity. She can be reached at lribeiro@bluewavestrategies.com .

Lori Robeiro stands next to the City of Brockton’s Brownfields to Brightfields which is New England’s largest solar energy generating station.

Above: City of Brockton’s Brownfields to Brightfields which is New England’s largest solar energy generating station. Photo Credit: Schott Solar

Below: Brightfields Site Plan

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MUSIC Update

Meeting Between USGS Director and MIT President

Spring was another busy semester for MUSiC. A visit by the USgS Director, Mark Myers, Associate Director for geography, Barbara ryan, and Chief Scientist for geography, Bruce Jones highlighted the spring. They met with president Susan Hockfield, Dean of the School of Architecture and planning, Adele Santos, Chair of the Department of Urban Studies and planning, larry vale and MUSiC co-directors larry Susskind and Herman Karl to discuss the future of MUSiC at MiT. USgS confirmed its commitment to develop and sustain MUSiC and MiT sees it as an important vehicle for integrating science more effectively into policy making. larry and Herman presented the MUSiC program and the process of training of a new class of environmental professional—the Science impact Coordinator.

Following the meeting, the USgS leaders spent the day reviewing MUSiC projects. After the project review, MUSiC interns and affiliates and invited MiT faculty and guests gathered for lunch at the MiT faculty club with the USgS leaders. After lunch, Mark, Barb and Bruce participated in ��.�75, “role of Science and Scientists in Collaborative Approaches to Environmental policymaking,” sharing their views on the role of science in policymaking with the students. Charles Curtin, MUSiC Scholar-in-residence, teaches ��.�75 with Herman and David Mattson, who will begin his MUSiC Scholar residency in fall 2007, participated in the seminar discussion.

MUSIC Interns

Congratulations to Alexis Shulman, Chris lyddy, Katherine Wallace, and Sharlene leurig on completing their MCp program. As have MUSiC interns before them, they have helped enormously to build and evolve MUSiC. We will welcome two new interns, Allison lassiter and Jennifer Edwards, in the fall. Allison is interested in conservation biology and Jennifer in energy. They will join returning second year interns, Tijs van Maasakkers, Siobhan Watson, Beth Williams, and Mimi Zhang. Tijs has been accepted into the DUSp ph.D. program. He will join Beaudry Kock and Hye yeon park (a student in the Engineering Systems Division working with MUSiC) as MUSiC doctoral researchers.

MUSIC Faculty

Judy layzer and Herman Karl attended the national Conference on Ecosystem restoration in Kansas City in April. Judy gave a talk, “natural Experiments: The politics of Ecosystem Management in the U.S.”, which was based on extensive research conducted for her forthcoming book “natural Experiments: Ecosystem Management and the Environment.” Herman moderated the session, “planning iii—Cooperation.”

MUSIC interns, faculty, and affliates with USGS senior staff Mark Meyers, Barbara Ryan and Bruce Jones.

Bruce Jones (right) and Barbara Ryan (left) give feedback to MUSIC Interns during the poster session in which Interns presented their research projects.

Photo credit: Xenia Kumph

Chris Lyddy and Beth Williams present their research on the Cooperative Sagebrush Initiative to USGS senior staff on May 3rd.

5Spring 2007

Projects

Marisa Arpels, a MUSiC Affiliate, has begun conducting a stakeholder assessment in cooperation with the Eastern Mystic Watershed Alliance (EMWA). it aims to assess the possibility of a multi-stakeholder collaboration on the lower part of the Mystic river. The Eastern Mystic river is a heavily urbanized watershed that suffers from a long history of industrial pollution, urban non-point and point source pollution and combined sewer outflows.

Tijs van Maasakkers, Siohban Watson, and Marisa Arpels will conduct research on the lower Mississippi Alluvial valley project during the summer. Tijs will also continue research on the eastern Washington State project with the Bureau of reclamation.

Students in ��.�75 and MUSiC interns made two field trips to coastal Maine to conduct background research as part of the gulf of Maine project. These trips were arranged and guided by Jennifer Atkinson of the Quebec labrador Foundation. We met with fisherman and other relevant stakeholders to assess the potential of a collaborative process to begin to develop an integrated terrestrial and marine ecosystem management approach to coastal and marine resources and environmental policy issues. The project will expand with the inclusion of prof. les Kaufmann of Boston University and other actors active in gulf of Maine fisheries issues.

it is anticipated that we will start a project with the Blue H group, a private company, to design and implement a process of joint fact finding as part of their application to site a deep-water wind farm off Massachusetts. This will be in cooperation with CBi. Blue H group has had preliminary meetings with the State and the U.S. Coast guard.

Talks and Lectures

MUSiC hosted two distinguished guests as Epp luncheon speakers. Bruce McCloskey, Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife spoke on “Energy Development and Wildlife Management in the Western U.S.” Bruce used the Cooperative Sagebrush (CSi) initiative to illustrate and discuss a new collaborative model of governance for natural resources. CSi is a citizen-driven, private sector-financed stakeholder process to restore the sagebrush ecosystem across eleven western states. Edward Warner, a director of the Sand County Foundation, presented “Examples of Collaborative Conservation illustrating a Shift Toward Community and Cooperation.” Ed presented several cases that illustrated the effectiveness of collaborative approaches to conservation and ecosystem management contrasting these with more traditional regulatory approaches. Ed also lectured in Herman Karl’s seminar on the Cooperative Sagebrush initiative, which he was instrumental in conceiving and initiating.

International Activity

Adrrian Slob and gerald Jan Ellen, of the Dutch science organization Tno, visited MiT in January to discuss a partnership between Tno and MUSiC and USgS. This initial discussion set the stage for a meeting with Dick Schmidt, Director general of the Tno Built Environment and geosciences, and Mart van Bracht, Director of the netherlands geological Survey, in May in the netherlands. Herman is returning to the netherlands in June to refine the specifics of the partnership, which would include jointly funded comparative projects and the exchange of students and personnel. Herman combined the May meetings with his participation in the second “living With Sediments” workshop held in Epen, the netherlands.

Charles Curtin met with representatives of UnESCo at the Un in May. UnESCo wanted to know if MUSiC could host a meeting of north American biosphere reserves next fall. This would be an excellent way of building a relationship between UnESCo, the resilience institute in Stockholm (another partnership being negotiated), and MiT. The biosphere reserve concept is closely aligned with the approach to resource management taken by MUSiC at the national level.

Herman Karl is participating in the second “numerical Modeling and policy interface” workshop in nottingham, UK in June. While in England he will meet with prof. Sue White of Cranfield University to discuss the training of interdisciplinarians (akin to Science impact Coordinators) to better facilitate the integration of science and policy. He will also meet with Sara Ulrich, Simulation Director of Simulstart, to discuss development of a role-play simulation with regard to new orleans and Katrina.

Scholars-in-Residence

in the fall, David Mattson, USgS research scientist, and Marilyn Tenbrink, chief, Water Diagnostic Branch, USEpA, be MUSiC Scholars-in-residence. David and Marilyn will spend the fall and spring semesters with MUSiC.

David Mattson, USGS Research Scientist

Marilyn Tenbrink, Chief, Water Diagnostic Branch, USEPA

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The practicum class will be co-taught by JoAnn Carmin and Zoë Wilson. professor Carmin is the instructor of record for the environmental justice course, an expert on the societal dimensions of environmental governance, environmental organizations and activism in transition countries, and field research methods. She also has significant experience organizing international field trips for students. Dr. Wilson is an expert on the global diffusion of technology and the politics of water and sanitation systems in South Africa. She is an affiliate of the pollution research group/School of Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu-natal. She also is the lead member for an international research team that is working to help local decision-makers around the world be better equipped to address issues related to safe water supply and sanitation services.

An information session about the class will be held in the fall. Following the session, students will be given the opportunity to apply for admission.

EPP International Environmental Practicum: Environmental Justice and Water Resources in South Africa

Zoë Wilson, Visiting Lecturer for 2007-08

the extent to which the environmental justice impacts of this choice are aligned with the rights-based approach enshrined in the South African Constitution and embedded in the national Water Act of �998 and national Water resource Strategy of 200�.

Drawing on their analysis, the students will be make specific and realistic recommendations to public officials and other stakeholders regarding how to minimize unwanted or undesirable risk at their assigned case site, as well as at similar sites in South Africa. The final report will be submitted to the primary client, eThekwini Water and Sanitation, which is the municipal water and sanitation service provider for the City of Durban and surrounding areas.

The practicum is based on the principle that sustainable solutions must be socially feasible and context specific. Therefore, it will be situated within ��.�68: Environmental Justice. in contrast to many EJ classes which focus on race, class, and the environment, professor Carmin has reoriented ��.�68 so that it focuses on issues related to resources, rights, and globalization. The readings and discussions during the spring semester will ensure that students have comprehensive knowledge of emerging issues in the field of environmental justice. in June, students will travel to Durban, South Africa (eThekwini Municipality) where they will spend approximately four weeks engaged in field research and analysis.

Zoë Wilson will be joining Epp next spring as co-instructor of the South Africa practicum. She presently is an affiliate of the pollution research group at the University of KwaZulu natal and is the lead member for the South African AnTinoMoS team, a project funded by the European Union that is dedicated to helping local decision-makers address water and sanitation problems. Dr. Wilson received her phD in political science from Dalhousie University in 200�. Her first book, The United nations and Democracy in Africa: labyrinths of legitimacy (routledge, 2006) focuses on the implementation of global norms and standards. Dr. Wilson has over ten years of experience working in diverse African settings. in recent years she has conducted research on philosophical, religious and environmental attitudes towards potable water reuse, completed a World Health organization project on globalization and water, and led a DFiD funded project on the politics of water scarcity in Southern Africa.

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7Spring 2007

Incoming EPP Students

Kathleen Araujo joins the doctoral program. She will specialize in energy and natural resource management with an emphasis on economics, governance and technology dimensions of latin American development. She received her BA in international politics from pennsylvania State University and her MA in international relations from Boston University.

Nishanthi Amerasinghe joins the SM program after working as a project implementation officer for the Asian Development Bank. She received her MS from the Asian institute of Technology and her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of peredeniya.

Anna Bromberg joins the MCp program after working as a project assistant for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. She received her BA in English from Carleton College.

Jennifer Edwards joins the MCp program after working as a consultant for the institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley. She received her BA in physics from the University of Berkeley. She will be a MUSiC intern.

Carolyn Hayek joins the MCp program after working as a Compliance inspector for the EpCrA, (Environmental planning and Community right to Know Act). She received her SB in Chemistry from Boston College.

Rachel Hockfield joins the MCp program from the US EpA where she worked as a program Analyst. She received her BA in political Science from University of north Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael Hogan joins the MS program. He received his SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of notre Dame. He received his MBA from Harvard University.

Kristina Katich joins the MCp program from the United States peace Corps, where she worked as a water and sanitation volunteer in the Dominican republic. She received her BDes in Architecture from the University of Florida.

Allison Lassiter joins the MCp program after working as a giS specialist for the Design Workshop. She received her SB in Biology from Cornell University. She will be a MUSiC intern.

Nathan Lemphers joins the MCp program after working at international Director of A rocha international. He received his BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta.

Haley Peckett joins the MCp program from Engelhardt, Hammer and Associates where she worked as a planner. She received her BA in geography from Dartmouth College.

Todd Schenk joins the MCp program from The regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe where he worked as a project Manager. He received his BA in geography from the University of guelph.

Amruta Sudhalkar joins the MCp program from Stanley Bostitch where she worked as an Environmental Health and Safety Engineer. She received her BS from rochester institute of Technology.

Kathleen Sylvester joins the MCp program after working for Kittelson & Associates as a Transportation Analyst. She received her Bng in Civil Engineering from northwestern University.

Tijs van Maasakkers joins the doctoral program from the MCp program. He received his BA in political Science from the University of Amsterdam and has recently been conducting research on the lower Mississippi Alluvial valley and the eastern Washington State project with the Bureau of reclamation as part of his work with MUSiC.

Next year EPP will have 13 new masters students and 2 new doctoral students joining our

group. We are excited to have them. They each bring unique pespectives to our group. Join

us in welcoming them.

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MIT-wide Energy and Environment Class

“Developing Energy/Environmental policies for a Sustainable Future” - ��.9��J, �7.95�J, and ESD.9��J

Dr. Jonathan raab

i chose to design and teach this class both to help me crystallize my thoughts and to begin to pass the torch to the next wave of reflective practitioners. Since completing my own ph.D. at MiT exactly �5 years ago (DUSp dissertation: Using Consensus Building to improve Utility regulation), i have been working on exciting projects at the important intersection of energy and environmental issues, primarily as a mediator and facilitator. These projects include electric industry restructuring, the regional greenhouse gas initiative, the Cape Wind project, statewide comprehensive greenhouse gas plans, state renewable portfolio standards and funds for energy efficiency and renewable energy, the new England Demand response initiative, and even an ambitious attempt to forge a set of consensus national energy policies.

The focus of the course was primarily on U.S. state and regional policies, since, for better or for worse, this has been where most of the creative, progressive, and successful energy-related accomplishments have taken place. The class focused both on the complex policies and the innovative processes that were used in the following efforts: recent national Efforts to Formulate a Comprehensive US Energy policy; Driving Sustainable Energy Development by Capping Carbon Emissions; restructuring the Electricity industry in the US; renewable Energy portfolio Standards (rpS) and Siting renewable Energy Facilities; Building Codes and Appliance Standards ; reducing oil Use in the Transportation Sector; and international policies and programs to promote Sustainable Energy Development

Because energy policy is an inter-disciplinary endeavor, we worked hard to attract students with different backgrounds and interests. We were successful (with larry vale’s able assistance) in getting the class cross-listed with DUSp, the Technology

and public policy program in the engineering school, and the political Science department. of the approximately �0 students who took the class for a grade or as active listeners, roughly one-third were from DUSp, one-third from Tpp, and one-third from political Science, the Kennedy School at Harvard, and a smattering of other departments.

An integral part of the class was a lecture series by leading practitioners in the field. We usually opened up these lectures to the broader MiT Community.

Susan Tierney, Managing principal, Analysis group, recent national Efforts to Formulate a Comprehensive US Energy policy

Commissioner David o’Connor, MA Division of Energy resources, restructuring the Electricity industry in new England

gordon van Welie, CEo for iSo new England, reliability in new England

Janet Besser, vp, national grid, Transmission and Wind

Bob grace. president, Sustainable Energy Advantage, renewable Energy portfolio Standards (rpS)

Jim gordon, president, Cape Wind Associates, Cape Wind project

Sue Coakley, president, northeast Energy Efficiency partnership, Building Codes and Appliance Standards

Dr. Felix Matthes, Coordinator, Energy and Climate Division, oeko institute, german renewables in germany, Carbon Cap and Trade in Europe

rick Weston, principal, rAp, Energy issues in China

one of the benefits and challenges of teaching a course on something as topical as energy/environmental issues is that there are literally two to three breaking news stories per week on issues we are covering that needed to be integrated into an already packed syllabus. For example, over this past semester the following relevant news stories broke:

U.S. Supreme Court tells U.S. EpA they can and should regulate greenhouse gas emissions

U.S. gas prices reach all time high (over $� while much of Europe over $6)president Bush announces will forge plan by end of 2008 to reduce U.S. oil imports by 20%

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9Spring 2007

By Marisa Arpels

Epp and Harvard students will be working this summer with navajo peacemakers. The project involves the Dinè (navajo) peacemakers inc., the MiT-Harvard public Dispute program, and the Consensus Building institute. The Dinè peacemakers focus on empowering grassroots communities in the southwest portion of the navajo nation by building indigenous competence in traditional navajo peacemaking.

in March of 2007, three senior members of the navajo team came to DUSp to talk to students about tradition dispute resolution. robert yazzie, former Supreme Court justice of the navajo court system led students through a scenario of traditional methods of dispute handling. He highlighted the importance of K’e (or respect for clanship) in achieving a higher level of Honzhu (happiness and satisfaction). phil Bluehouse explored the spiritual side of peacemaking by interpreting the meaning imbedded in a sacred painting.

Dinè peacemaking is a healing system of justice based on shared learning and communication. it builds on the principles of respect, transparency, participation, consensus, reciprocity, accountability, responsibility, fairness, and public trust. The Western top-down, punitive judicial system has eroded the decision-making authority of many local communities and generated feelings of isolation. Extending Dine peacemaking to multi-party environment disputes might help heal past wounds, empower local communities and restore the cultural and spiritual connection to the land.

in mid-July, four students, including Marisa Arpels (MCp-2) and Alexis Schulman (MCp - 2), will head to northeastern Arizona to talk to local peacemakers about the navajo dispute resolution system. They will participate in traditional ceremonies and examine the expanded use of peacemaking in natural resource conflicts. in addition, they will evaluate traditional peacemaking and compare it to western dispute resolution models like consensus building in a paper that will be prepared for the program on negotiation at Harvard law School.

Exploring the Expanded Use of Peacemaking in Natural Resource Conflicts

intergovernmental panel on Climate Change says at least 90% chance humans are responsible for climate change and need to act quickly to avoid potentially catastrophic impacts

Cape Wind project approved by Massachusetts while federal government extends review for additional year.

Massachusetts’ new administration begins serious look at dynamic pricing, decoupling, and feed-in tariffs for renewable energy

Throughout the course, students were engaged in a wide range of activities - from journal writing and spirited in-class discussions to negotiation simulations. The culminating event was the final project in which students picked a relevant topic, thoroughly researched it, presented their analyses and recommendations to the class, and consolidated their thoughts in a final paper. The titles of these papers serve as a useful overview of the breadth and depth of knowledge that the students took away from this course.

Embracing a Sustainable Energy Future: Developing Policies and Programs for Universities

A Comparison of Five Climate Change Action Plans in the United States

Plug-in Hybrids: Strategies for Exploiting Synergies Between the Transport & Power Sector

Carbon Cap and Trade and Renewable Energy Markets: A Peaceful Coexistence?

Beyond Building Codes and Energy Efficiency Programs: A Mandatory Building Energy Pass in the Northeast

The 100th Restructuring Roundtable: Successes, Shortcomings, & Recommendations

Policy Options to Support Renewable Electricity: Comparing RPS and FIT

Renewable Portfolio Standards vs. Feed-in Tariffs – A Policy Analysis

Dynamic Pricing: A Strategy for Massachusetts

Making Community Wind a Reality in the United States: Making the Production Tax Credit Accessible to Community Wind Projects

Strategies for Promoting Fuel Efficiency for U.S. Commercial Aircraft

Recycling Policies: How Recycling Can Save Energy, the Current Challenges of Recycling, and Overview of Proposed Policy Solutions, and a Recommended Solution

Effectiveness of two Deliberative Processes in the Energy Sector and Proposed Alternative

Comparing Energy Efficiency Delivery Models: National Grid, Efficiency Vermont and the Cambridge Energy Alliance

Developing a Comprehensive “Smart Growth” Strategy for a State

Evolving Towards a Climate Change Solution: Early Lessons from the Kyoto Era

Gas Tax as Key Energy Efficiency Strategy: United States vs. Germany and United Kingdom

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From left to right: Larry Susskind, Kyril Calsoyas, Robert Redsteer, Phil Bluehouse, and Robert Yazzie.

�0 EnvironMEnTAl poliCy AnD plAnning

The significance of the water management negotiations for the nile river basin populations can be read in the sign at the Ministry of Water resources in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, “Water is life”. i have spent most of this past academic year in the nile river basin conducting field research, which complements prior research toward my phD in the Danube basin.

Since �999, 9 of the �0 nile riparian states (Burundi, Dr Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) have been negotiating a framework agreement at the ministerial level for cooperative management of the nile (Eritrea is an observer to the negotiations). With assistance from the World Bank and other donors, the countries have also created a transitional institution, the nile Basin initiative, to facilitate technical exchanges and initiate collaborative projects in the basin.

The challenges to and opportunities for cooperation are great. The region is characterized by huge differences in water availability, with tremendous spatial and temporal variability, and water usage. Egypt, the most downstream country and regional economic powerhouse, is almost completely dependent on the upstream riparians for its supply of surface water. Upstream countries depend on the nile’s water to varying degrees for drinking, irrigating crops, generating hydropower and maintaining the ecosystem to support fish and other natural resources. Their potential also varies to further develop these within the basin and outside of the basin through nile water transfers. in addition, the region has histories of colonialism, civil and interstate war and poor and changing governance structures. Such features combine to create a myriad of interests and opportunities for negotiation and development. However, cooperative management has been impeded by a history of mistrust, lack of data about the ecosystem and the absence of institutions that detail rights and obligations of all negotiating parties. A treaty negotiated

during the colonial era in �929, between Egypt and Britain on behalf of most of the upper riparians- notably not Ethiopia, and its successor in �958 between Egypt and Sudan apportion all of the nile water between Egypt and Sudan. The status of these treaties and obligations for prior notification of intended development are two of the major obstacles to reaching a cooperative framework agreement.

Through interviews over � years with participants of cooperative efforts in the Danube and the nile river basins i have been learning about the areas of cooperation these different negotiated water management institutions address. i have been interested in what kinds of issues they have had more success addressing and which they have a harder time with and why. in both basins there has been notable progress made with regards to building confidence, sharing information and data, building capacity for monitoring and data analysis, and developing rules and norms for interaction with one another. given the significant number of countries in both basins, histories of conflict, differences among interests and high scientific uncertainty, these are remarkable. However, in both basins there are also issues that still demand attention. These include reconciling old and new water management institutions, highlighting tradeoffs between competing issues and negotiating how to create value by trading across those issues. given the desire for cooperation and weariness of conflict in both regions, it is not surprising that these water institutions have so far focused almost exclusively on areas on which all parties can agree. given this spirit of cooperation, significant opportunities will be lost if these institutions do not also address areas on which the parties differ. This research intends to contribute to research and practice in this area by suggesting procedural steps participants can use to create value from their differences.

My dissertation research has been generously funded by the MiT Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability, the Joseph l. Fisher Dissertation Fellowship program at resources for the Future, and the program on negotiation at the Harvard law School.

Negotiated Water Management Institutions: Field research in the Nile River basinBy Cat Ashcraft

Cat Ashcraft in the outskirts of Luxor in Upper Egypt.

Above: This is Tis Abay which means “The Smoke of the Nile”. It is part of the Blue Nile. During the rainy season it contributes more than 2/3rds of the water supply.

��Spring 2007

Isabelle Anguelovski has been awarded an Emerson Travel grants, a rodwin Travel grants and a program on Human rights and Justice 2007 Summer internship.

Catherine Ashcraft was awarded the Martin Family Society

Winner of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award

Sheltering in Place: The Limits of Integrative Bargaining Following Industrial Accidents

by Gregg P. Macey

This study grew out of an interest in environmental justice and the unique problems faced by neighborhoods located near petrochemical facilities. i show how in a highly institutionalized setting, which for my dissertation included the causes and immediate consequences of an accidental toxic emission by a chemical processing facility, much of the integrative potential of the negotiations that follow is removed from potential discussion or even discovery before mediators and the parties involved begin to address root causes. new roles for mediators, and why it is as important to focus on limiting the narrowing effects of structuration as it is to try and expand the initial offer space, are discussed. Data for my dissertation include semi-structured interviews with over 90 agency and industry representatives, residents and community organizers, and the lawyers and mediators who were also a part of the conflicts that followed accidents such as the Unocal Catacarb spill. i also collected primary documents, including environmental data, deposition transcripts analyzed to determine the organizational roots of the accidents, plant management and government agency records, media accounts, and drafts of community-corporate agreements.

Student Awards

Incentive Zoning and Environmental Quality in Boston’s Fenway Neighborhood.

by Josh Deflorio

Mapping the Void: Brownfield Inventories by Local Governments

by Sharlene Leurig

Fellowship for Sustainability.

Ronilda Co has won a program on Human rights and Justice 2007 Summer internship.

Abigail Emison won an American institute of Certified planners Student project Award.

Sharlene Leurig won a Silberberg Travel Awards for Social Justice and Design.

Gregg Macey has won the outstanding phD Dissertation Award for his Dissertation entitled, “Sheltering in place: The limits of integrative Bargaining Following industrial Accidents”.

Sophie Martin has won a Design Workshop Summer internship.

Erik Nielsen and Nancy Odeh have each won an MiT-Japan international Studies Fund Award.

Tegin Teich has been awarded an MiT DUSp-public Service Center Summer Career Development Summer internship in international public Service; a Charles Abrams Scholarship.; and an Eisenhower graduate Transportation Fellowship.

Abby Spinak has won a U.S. Department of Education Jacob K. Javits Fellowship.

Katherine Van Tassel was a member of the Second place team to win an Affordable Housing Development Competition. She was also a presidential Management Fellowship Finalists.

Katherine Wallace has been awarded the AiCp outstanding Student Award. She was also a presidential Management Fellowship Finalists.

EPP 2007 Dissertation

EPP 2007 MCP Thesis Titles

There’s No Justice In Transit!--Transit Equity, Land Use, and Air Quality in Boston

by Laura Machala

Barriers and Bridges to the Use of Local Ecological Knowledge in U.S. Resource Management

by Alexis Schulman

Energy Consumption and Smart Growth in Massachusetts: Does Smart Growth Make a Difference?

by Katherine Van Tassel

Trading Pollution for Water Quality: Assessing the Effects of Market-Based Instruments in Three Basins

by Katherine Wallace

�2 EnvironMEnTAl poliCy AnD plAnning

by Teresa Hill, laboratory for Energy and the Environment

larry Susskind, the Ford professor of Urban Studies and Environmental Studies in the Department of Urban Studies and planning (DUSp) and head of Epp, has received this year’s international Association for impact Assessment (iAiA) global Environment Award. The award will be conferred in Seoul, South Korea at the iAiA’s annual meeting in June 2007.

iAiA is an organization of environmental and social decision-makers with 2,500 members from more than �20 nations. The meeting in Seoul is expected to attract more than 700 delegates from 80 nations to address this year’s conference theme of “power, poverty and Sustainability.”

This year marks the seventh time that the global Environment Award has been given. previous winners have been some of the world’s most significant figures in the environmental field. Award recipients have included Maurice Strong, Jan pronk, Mostafa Tolba, Margot Wallstrom, gus Speth and Wangari Maathai.

Thanking the organization for the award, Susskind said, “iAiA has been an important force for change. i’m honored by their recognition. impact assessment is used around the world to promote better environmental decision-making. And, assessments are an important means of achieving greater transparency and increased public engagement.”

Susskind was selected for the honor because of his “outstanding, sustained and unique contributions to the field,” according to iAiA materials. Award committee chair Jean-roger Mercier notes in particular Susskind’s founding of the Consensus Building institute (CBi), which has assisted in the resolution of hundreds of seemingly intractable environmental disputes. CBi is currently involved with a wide range of resource management disputes including the mediation of Bedouin land claims in israel, air quality management in Mexico City and strategies for resolving facility-siting disputes in Korea. Mercier also cited Susskind’s role in training more than 60 ph.D.s who are now leaders in the field. in recent years, nine of these students have been members of the Martin Family Society of Fellows in Environmental Sustainability administered by the laboratory for Energy and the Environment.

Susskind has been at MiT for �5 years and currently serves as director of the Environmental policy and planning group in DUSp; he has also been chairman of the department. He was extensively involved with the Mexico City project led by professor Mario Molina and coordinated by lFEE and the Alliance for global Sustainability. Susskind is also one of the founders of the interuniversity program on negotiation at Harvard law School, where he co-directs the MiT-Harvard public Disputes program.

Larry Susskind receives Global Environment Award

Lawrence Susskind Ford professor of

Urban Studies and Environmental planning

Epp Headsusskind@mit.edu

JoAnn CarminAssociate professor of Environmental policy

jcarmin@mit.edu

Nicholas Ashfordprofessor of Technology

and policy, School of Engineering

nashford@mit.edu

Eran Ben- JosephAssociate professor of

landscape Architecture and planningebj@mit.edu

Micheal FlaxmanAssistant professor

of Urban information Systems

mflaxman@mit.edu

To contact our faculty:

Judith LayzerAssistant professor of Environmental policy

jlayzer@mit.edu

Anne Whiston Spirnprofessor of landscape

Architecture and planningspirn@mit.edu

Terry SzoldAdjunct Associate

professor of land Use planning

tsszold@mit.edu

Jonathan Raabvisiting lecturer

raab@raabassociates.org

David Fairmanvisiting lecturerfairman@mit.edu

Herman KarlMiT-USgS Science impact Collaborative Co-Director

hkarl@mit.edu

For general inquiries contact:

epprequest@mit.edu

or visit our website at

http://web.mit.edu/dusp/epp

Designed and assembled by Xenia Kumph.