UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Junjie Zhang
2014-05-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
’Effortless Perfection:’Do Chinese Cities Manipulate Air Pollution Data?Abstract:This paper uses unique data on daily air pollution concentrations over the period 2001-2010to test for manipulation in self-reported data by Chinese cities. First, we employ a discontinuitytest to detect the cities that reported dubious pollution data around the cut-off for ”blue-skydays.” Then, we propose a panel matching approach to identify the conditions under whichirregularities may occur. We find that about 50% of cities reported dubious PM10 pollutionlevels that led to a discontinuity at the cut-off. Suspicious data reporting tends to occur ondays when the anomaly is least detectable. Our findings indicate that the official daily airpollution data are not well behaved, which provides suggestive evidence of manipulation.Link to paperAbout the Speaker:Junjie Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Economics at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego. He is a Senior Advisor at the Asia Society and an Associate Editor at the journal of Marine Resource Economics. Zhang completed his Ph.D. in Environmental and Resource Economics from Duke University in 2008. He also holds a B.A. in Environmental Economics and Management from Renmin University of China, a B.S. and a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University. Zhang’s research centers on empirical issues in environmental and resource economics. He is particularly interested in an interdisciplinary approach that integrates social sciences, engineering and natural sciences to deal with environmental policy problems. His research topics cover air pollution, water resources, climate change, and fisheries. His recent research has focused on the environmental and energy problems in China.

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Tamara Sheldon
2014-05-15 14:00 - 15:30
“Designing Effective Plug-in Electric VehicleRebates”About the Speaker:Tamara
Sheldon is a doctoral candidate in the economics department at University of
California, San Diego. She is interested in environmental, energy, and public
economics. Her research explores demand for plug-in electric vehicles and
infrastructure as well as how the business cycle affects carbon dioxide
emissions.

The Futures of Food and the Futures of Farmers with UCLA Regents' Lecturer Charles C. Mann
2014-05-13 17:30 - 20:00
By the time today’s UCLAundergraduates hit middle age, the world will hold almost 10 billion people,
most of them affluent by historical standards. Dinner for the 10 billion,
agronomists say, will be a huge challenge: We are running out of arable land,
water supplies are stretched, and the advances of the “green revolution” are
fading.
Researchers have proposed two
broad solutions: maintaining the current system of large-scale industrial
monoculture or switching over, at least in substantial part, to a much more
localized, diverse system. The former involves extensive deployment of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs), heavy chemical use and even heavier
computer monitoring. Meanwhile, the small, highly productive farms touted as a
model require vastly more labor—that is, vastly more people working on the
land. The choice of system, a key task of the next generation, will have
enormous impact on the kind of lives people lead tomorrow.
Charles
C. Mann is the author of 1493, a New York Times
best-seller, and 1491,
which won the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Keck award for the best book
of the year. A correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, Science and Wired, he
has covered the intersection of science, technology and commerce for many
newspapers and magazines here and abroad, including National Geographic, the
New York Times, Vanity Fair and the Washington Post. In addition to 1491 and 1493, he is the co-author
of five other books, one of which is a young person’s version of 1491 called Before Columbus.

The Futures of Food and the Futures of Farmers
2014-05-13 17:30 - 20:00
The Futures of Food and the the Futures of FarmersBy the time today’s UCLAundergraduates hit middle age, the world will hold almost 10 billion people,
most of them affluent by historical standards. Dinner for the 10 billion,
agronomists say, will be a huge challenge: We are running out of arable land,
water supplies are stretched, and the advances of the “green revolution” are
fading.
Researchers have proposed two
broad solutions: maintaining the current system of large-scale industrial
monoculture or switching over, at least in substantial part, to a much more
localized, diverse system. The former involves extensive deployment of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs), heavy chemical use and even heavier
computer monitoring. Meanwhile, the small, highly productive farms touted as a
model require vastly more labor—that is, vastly more people working on the
land. The choice of system, a key task of the next generation, will have
enormous impact on the kind of lives people lead tomorrow.
Charles
C. Mann is the author of 1493, a New York Times
best-seller, and 1491,
which won the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Keck award for the best book
of the year. A correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, Science and Wired, he
has covered the intersection of science, technology and commerce for many
newspapers and magazines here and abroad, including National Geographic, the
New York Times, Vanity Fair and the Washington Post. In addition to 1491 and 1493, he is the co-author
of five other books, one of which is a young person’s version of 1491 called Before Columbus.
Event information
When:
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Reception
6:30 – 8 p.m. Program
Where:
UCLA Public Affairs Building
Third Floor Terrace
337 Charles E Young Drive East
Los Angeles, California 90095
Parking and transit informationRSVP by May 8 or contact us for more information:
charlesmannatuclaluskin.eventbrite.com • 310-206-8034
Sponsored by:
UCLA
Luskin Center for Innovation
Cotsen
Institute of Archaeology – UCLA
UCLA
Asia Institute – International Institute
UCLA
Latin American Institute
Global
Public Affairs at Luskin
UCLA
Cesar E. Chavez Dept. of Chicana/o Studies
UCLA
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
UCLA
Center for Social Theory and Comparative History
Emmett
Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Katrina Jessoe
2014-05-08 14:00 - 15:30
“Commercial and Industrial Demand Response UnderMandatory Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing”AbstractThis paper is the first to evaluate the
impact of a large-scale field deployment of mandatory time of-use (TOU) pricing
on the energy use of commercial and industrial firms. The regulation imposes higher
user prices during hours when electricity is generally more expensive to
produce, and is the most common way for time-varying incentives to be
transmitted to retail electricity customers. We exploit a natural experiment
that arises from the rules governing the program to present evidence that TOU
pricing induced negligible change in overall usage, peak usage or peak load. As
such, economic efficiency was not increased by this regulation. Bill levels and
volatility exhibit only minor shifts, suggesting that concerns from advocacy
groups about increased expenditure and customer risk exposure have been
overstated.http://kkjessoe.ucdavis.edu/Research.htm.About the Speaker:Katrina
Jessoe is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and
Resource Economics at UC Davis, where she specializes in environmental and
energy economics. Much of her research centers on the design and evaluation of
water regulations and time variant pricing in electricity markets. In her work,
she often collaborates with electric and water utilities, as well as state
agencies. Some recent and ongoing projects include the design of a randomized
field experiment to test the role of information on the price elasticity for
residential electricity, the analysis of time-variant pricing programs for
residential and commercial electricity customers, and the collection of water quality data from public
and state small systems to measure the impact of drinking water quality
regulations in California. She received a BA from Princeton University in 2002
and a PhD in Environmental and Resource Economics from Yale University if 2009.Please see Professor Jessoe’s website for more information.

Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age: Preventing Technology-Facilitated Exploitation
2014-05-06 12:00 - 13:30
PUBLIC POLICY FOR INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE SERIESPreventing Technology-Facilitated ExploitationModeratorJohn Villasenor Professor of Public Policy and Electrical Engineering, UCLAPanelistsErnie Allen President & CEO, International Centre for Missing & Exploited ChildrenAdrian Chandley PrincipalProgram Manager Lead, MicrosoftAmanda Hess Staff Writer, SlateCody Monk Special Agent, Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Internet technologies have brought new avenues for exploitation involving child pornography, human trafficking, sextortion, cyberstalking and other forms of harassment. This panel will consider what can be done to provide local law enforcement agencies with better tools to combat these forms of exploitation. How can we more effectively combat crime, including crimes of exploitation, conducted using the “deep web” and digital currencies? Given the global nature of today’s communications systems, what is the best response to combat exploitation in which the producers and consumers of illicit content are often in different countries?This panel session will explore the challenges associated with fostering the positive aspects of today’s technologies while also addressing their misuse for exploitation.In particular, the panel will address questions including:What can be done to provide local law enforcement agencies with better tools to combat cyberstalking?Cyberstalking and harassment disproportionately target women. How does this chill online participation by women, and what are some steps we could take to address this?To what extent should the government regulate digital currencies such as bitcoin, which can be used for both lawful and unlawful transactions, including transactions associated with exploitation?Given the global nature of today’s communications systems, what is the best response to combat exploitation in which the producers and consumers of illicit content are often in different countries?How can we more effectively combat crime, including crimes of exploitation, conducted using the “deep web”?All Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age panels are free. Registration is required. Seating will be first come, first served. Lunch will be served. Daily parking is $12. Pay-by-space parking is also available in Parking Structure SV.

IoES/Luskin Research Seminar: Anthony Michaels
2014-05-05 12:00 - 13:00
“Dare to be Trivial”Presented by Dr. Anthony Michaels, Managing Director, Proteus Environmental TechnologiesAbout the TalkUniversities are homes for extraordinary innovation and scholarship. Almost by definition, environmental scholarship has the additional requirement of being relevant to one of the key challenges for the sustainability of life on this earth. Whose job is it to make that relevance real? What are the tools that we use to bring innovations in thought and technology to the lives of the broader public? Most importantly – what is the scale at which we strive to effect change? The problems are so vast and the route to scale so daunting. I propose that we “dare to be trivial”. Pick big challenges and go to the heart of what it takes to execute on a real change at scale. Then ask – what will it take to change 5% of that global environmental challenge through an innovation? That might be trivial, but it is not irrelevant. How can we do it fast? I have chosen to stray from the academic path to look at “high-leverage” methods of changing society through innovation. My toolkit of choice is a combination of new approaches to investing, a hybrid technology development path for innovations and a complex systems perspective. Using real examples that are as diverse as energy efficiency, recycling, waste-to-value and agriculture, this toolkit shows promise for taking academic knowledge to scale – rapidly – and to creating alternate paths to sustainability that leverage the power of market forces. It is complementary to the more traditional toolkits for change such as policy, innovation startups and education. I think that this niche – fairly unpopulated at this time, is a wonderful new opportunity for clever research universities to magnify the relevance and value of scholarship on a path to a better planet.About the SpeakerTony Michaels has 21 years of leadership experience in environmental science, systems thinking and entrepreneurship. He was the founder and Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California from 1996-2008 with combined research and operational budgets of over $15M per year and over 100 faculty, staff and students. He has 27 years of experience in marine and environmental research including research on the global carbon cycle and the role of the oceans in absorbing carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. He co-created and managed a program on the value of climate forecasts in the management of hurricane-related risks by the international reinsurance industry. He was the founding President of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, a professional organization for leaders of academic environmental programs that now involves over 140 universities and colleges. He attended the University of California, San Diego (1976-1979), the University of Arizona (B.S. 1982, M.S. 1983) and the University of California, Santa Cruz (Ph.D. in Biology, 1988). He worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Bermuda Biological Station for Research before coming to USC in 1996.

Energy Innovation Conference
2014-05-02 08:00 - 15:30
Our Deputy Director, Colleen Callahan, will be speaking at the Energy Innovation Conference!Tickets are on sale now!Industry price: $25 with 50% off discount code “Earlybird”Ticket price includes breakfast, lunch, and parkingThe Energy Innovation Conference seeks to:Showcase innovative technologies with the potential to reinvent the energy industry,Enable entrepreneurs, university researchers, and corporate executives to demonstrate technology to investors, corporations, and industry veterans; andProvide an atmosphere of collaborative learning for all participants through a panel format.Speakers & Panelists:Keynote Speaker:MATT PETERSENChief Sustainability Officer of the City of Los AngelesFeatured Panel:IAN GARDNERChief Strategy & Investment Officer of the LA Cleantech IncubatorJIM MCDERMOTTManaging Partner, US Renewables GroupANIL TAMMINEEDIVenture Capital, Angeleno GroupPanel Topics Include*Panels subject to changeTransportation (EVs & Charging)StorageExploration & Production of Oil & GasEnergy Efficiency & IT / SoftwarePolicy, Government, & RegulationVC & EntrepreneurshipSolarUtility of the Future / Smart Grid110 Westwood PlazaLos Angeles, CA 90095-1481anderson.ucla.edu

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Kyle Meng
2014-05-01 14:00 - 15:30
“Forecasting theCost to Firms of Climate Policy using Prediction Markets and Lobbying
Records” AbstractForecasting the cost of proposed policies may
be difficult when prior experience is limited. This paper develops a novel
forecasting method that combines prediction market prices with stock returns to
estimate the expected cost to firms of the Waxman-Markey climate policy bill. I
find Waxman-Markey would have reduced the value of listed firms by $150 billion
with greater losses for carbon intensive sectors. A regression discontinuity
design finds sectors entitled to free allowances under the bill experienced larger
gains. Lobbying records are used to estimate a political influence function for
listed firms and to partially identify costs for unlisted firms.Link to paperAbout the Speaker:Kyle Meng is an
environmental economist whose
research examines the costs, benefits, and political economy of climate policy
with applications around the world. His research has been published in Nature and PNAS. Kyle is
currently a Postdoctoral Fellow with joint appointment at the Woodrow Wilson
School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the
Environmental Defense Fund. Beginning in the fall of 2014, Kyle will be an
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Management and Economics at
the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Conference: Who Owns the Digital City?
2014-04-25 09:00 - 16:30
RSVP by April 21, 2014REGISTER TODAY!This conference brings together policymakers, technologists, engineers, activists and intellectuals to explore how information and communication technologies are changing the governance, social experience, management and study of our cities.This is a part of a larger project at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs to explore the main critical policy issues raised by the digital revolution, which is upending entire fields and industries and causing many changes in our daily lives. The latest phase of information and communication technology development will have a particularly powerful effect on our cities and regions, leading to new paradigms of urban management, public decision-making and participation, social interaction, and social-scientific methodology.The keynote presentation will be given by computer scientist and futurist Jaron Lanier, author of Who Owns the Future?Event informationKeynote: Thursday, April 24, 2014 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.UCLA Luskin Third Floor Terrace 337 Charles E Young Drive East Los Angeles, California 90095 Conference:Friday, April 25, 2014 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.UCLA De Neve Commons, Plaza Room 351 Charles E. Young Drive West Los Angeles, California 90095 Parking available for $12

2014 LABC Sustainability Summit: California Energy and Water Policy: Is it Driving New Jobs and Investment in Los Angeles?
2014-04-25 07:00 - 14:00
J.R. DeShazo will be a speaker at this year’s LABCAnnual Sustainability Summit. Hailed by notables nationwide as the singular LA event that
captures how best to build and capitalize on the new clean tech economy, this
exceptional forum advocates for business-driven solutions and
policy-prescriptions that can make clean energy more profitable.
At this year’s summit, L.A.
CityMayor Garcetti is invited to share with us his vision and plan for a
sustainable city that creates new jobs and businesses. Also invited to give
keynotes are Dr. Manuel Pastor, Director of USC’s Program for
Environmental and Regional Equity, and City of Lancaster Mayor R. Rex
Parris, who set Lancaster on a path to becoming a net zero city.
Confirmed speakers also include: California State Senator Kevin
de Leon; Gary Lee Moore, Interim Executive Director of the Port
of Los Angeles; Robert Katherman, Water Replenishment District of
Southern California; Commissioner Andrew McAllister, California Energy
Commission and many more.
The LABC Institute will
be partnering with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the USC Program
for Environmental and Regional Equity to conduct research and release a report
on the LADWP Clean LA Solar (Feed-in-Tariff) Program that will provide an early
snapshot of the local impacts and offer suggestions for maximizing the benefits
as the program seeks to scale up to a 600 MW Program.
For more information, Click Here.

Keynote: Who Owns the Digital City?
2014-04-24 18:00 - 20:00
RSVP by April 21, 2014
REGISTER TODAY!
This conference brings together policymakers, technologists, engineers, activists and intellectuals to explore how information and communication technologies are changing the governance, social experience, management and study of our cities.
This is a part of a larger project at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs to explore the main critical policy issues raised by the digital revolution, which is upending entire fields and industries and causing many changes in our daily lives. The latest phase of information and communication technology development will have a particularly powerful effect on our cities and regions, leading to new paradigms of urban management, public decision-making and participation, social interaction, and social-scientific methodology.
The keynote presentation will be given by computer scientist and futurist Jaron Lanier, author of Who Owns the Future?
Event informationKeynote: Thursday, April 24, 2014 6 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.UCLA Luskin Third Floor Terrace 337 Charles E Young Drive East Los Angeles, California 90095 Conference:Friday, April 25, 2014 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.UCLA De Neve Commons, Plaza Room 351 Charles E. Young Drive West Los Angeles, California 90095 Parking available for $12

Justice Fusion: Art and Creative Expression for Social & Environmental Equity
2014-04-24 16:00 - 18:00
RSVP at: conta.cc/1q0gK6rSponsored by the UCLA Environmental Justice Initiative, this event explores the intersection between race, class, gender, and environmental issues through art. The event will feature contributions from students and artists at the crossroads of environmental activism and scholarship. Attendees will also have the opportunity to express their own experiences with environmental burdens and benefits through visual and performance art. Learn more about the artists and event…Program4:00-5:00pm Refreshments4:00-5:00pm Photography Exhibit & Live Art5:00-6:00pm Poetry & Spoken WordCo-Hosted by:Center for the Study of InequalityInstitute of the Environment and SustainabilityInstitute of American CulturesLuskin Center for InnovationUCLA Cultural Affairs CommissionUCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Catherine Wolfram
2014-04-24 14:00 - 15:30
“The Demand for Energy-Using Assets among the World’s Rising Middle Classes”Abstract:We study decisions to acquire energy-using assets in thepresence of rising incomes. We develop a theoretical framework to show that
credit-constrained, poor households are unlikely to use additional income to
buy appliances. The effect of income growth on asset purchases is stronger at
higher income levels. We use large and plausibly exogenous shocks to household
income generated by the conditional-cash-transfer program in Mexico,
Oportunidades, to show that asset acquisition is nonlinear, depends, as
predicted, on the pace of income growth, and both effects are economically
large among beneficiaries. Our results may help explain important worldwide
trends in energy use.Link to paperAbout the Speaker:Catherine Wolfram is Cora Jane Flood Professor of Business Administration at
the Haas School of Business and a researcher at the UC Energy
Institute. Her research focuses on the economics of energy markets. She has studied the impact of environmental regulation on energy
markets and the effects of electricity industry privatization and
restructuring around the world. She received a PhD in economics from MIT. Before joining the faculty
at UC Berkeley, she was an assistant professor of economics at Harvard
University.
See Catherine Wolfram’s complete bio.

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Hunt Allcott
2014-04-17 14:00 - 15:30
“The Lightbulb Paradox: Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments”Abstract:It is often suggestedthat consumers are imperfectly informed about or inattentive to energy costs of
durable goods such as cars, air conditioners, and lightbulbs. We study two
randomized control experiments that provide information on energy costs and
product lifetimes for energy efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs)
vs. traditional incandescent bulbs. We then propose a general model of consumer
bias in choices between energy-using durables, derive sufficient statistics for
quantifying the welfare implications of such bias, and evaluate energy efficiency
subsidies and standards as second best corrective policies if powerful
information disclosure is infeasible. In the context of our theoretical model,
the empirical results suggest that moderate CFL subsidies may be optimal, but
imperfect information and inattention do not appear to justify a ban on
traditional incandescent lightbulbs in the absence of other inefficiencies.Link to paperAbout the Speaker:Hunt Allcott is an Assistant Professor of Economics at New York University and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is also a Scientific Director of ideas42,
a think tank that applies insights from psychology and economics to
problems in international development, health care, consumer finance,
and the energy industry. He is a Contributing Author of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report and,
according to a recent article in the American Economic Journal, one of the top five most-cited economists who have completed a PhD after 2005.
Professor Allcott holds a PhD from Harvard University and a BS
and MS from Stanford University. Before coming to NYU, he was the Energy
and Society Fellow in the MIT Economics Department and the MIT Energy Initiative.
He has also worked in the private sector as a consultant with Cambridge
Energy Research Associates and in international development as a
consultant to the World Bank. During academic year 2013-2014, he is a
visiting professor at Berkeley, Stanford, and the University of Chicago.
Professor Allcott is an applied microeconomist who studies topics in
environmental and energy economics, industrial organization, behavioral
economics, and development microeconomics. His research centers on
consumer behavior, business strategy, and regulatory policy in energy
markets. He uses a variety of tools, including both structural and
reduced form econometrics, applied theory, and randomized field
experiments.

Where did all the Money Go? Economic Development in a Post-Redevelopment California
2014-04-16 12:00 - 14:00
Withthe recent impact of the most severe recession since the Great Depression, and
the elimination of redevelopment in California, literally, “Where did all the
Money Go?” And how can we still achieve
the goals of Smart Growth and Sustainable Community planning? This symposium will be a conversation with a
selected group of UCLA alumni from our programs that are engaged in helping to shape
those outcomes. We will also discuss key
issues students will eventually face as planners and policy analysts and how your
education today can help with your professional challenges ahead.
Redevelopment
was a major land assembly and financing tool for economic development, and an
important financing mechanism for affordable housing. Now that it is essentially gone – except for
completing the transfer of outstanding assets by the successor agencies, where
is all the money going and how are jurisdictions coping? How can we continue to plan effectively under
these conditions, and what new financing and planning tools are on the horizon? This is a dynamic and exciting time, although
the future is far from certain.
The
Panelists will discuss the various key topics from their own work perspectives. Professor Donald Shoup will make some introductory
remarks about how the world of urban public finance has changed since he first
started teaching this course over two decades ago. Panelists include:
▪ Moderator- Stan Hoffman, President, Stanley R. Hoffman
Associates, UCLA MA Urban Planning, 1972
▪ Cecilia Estolano, Principal, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors,
LLC, former Los Angeles CRA director,
UCLA MA Urban Planning, 1991
▪ Robb Steel, Director – Economic Development, former
Redevelopment Director, City of Rialto, UCLA MA Urban Planning, 1981
▪ Brian Gross, Senior Consultant, Waronzof, UCLA MA Urban
Planning, 2002
▪ Julio Morales, Finance Director, City of Huntington Park,
UCLA MBA, 2003
▪ Sarah McPherson Besley, Hollywood Properties Owners
Alliance, UCLA MA Urban Planning, 2007
▪ Jeff Carpenter, retired, former Los Angeles CRA Senior Staff, UCLA MA Urban Planning, 1971

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: Matthew Kahn
2014-04-10 14:00 - 15:30
“Household Demandfor Low Carbon Public Policies: Evidence from California”AbstractIn recent years, Californians have voted on
two key pieces of low carbon regulation. The resulting voting patterns provide
an opportunity to examine the demand for carbon mitigation efforts. Household
voting patterns are found to mirror the voting patterns by the U.S Congress on
national carbon legislation. Political liberals and more educated voters favor
such regulations while suburbanites tend to oppose such initiatives. Survey
responses at the individual level are shown to predict the spatial variation in
actual voting patterns and hence convergent validity for results obtained with
stated preference data on voting markets.http://www.nber.org/papers/w19965About the Speaker:Matthew E. Kahn is a
Professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment, the Department of
Economics, the Department of Public Policy, the Anderson School of Management and theUCLA Law School. He is a research associate
at the National
Bureau of Economic Research and a research fellow at
IZA. He also serves as a Non-Resident Scholar at the NYU Stern
School of Business at the Urbanization Project and as a Non-Resident
Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Urban
Research. Before joining the UCLA faculty in January 2007, he taught
at Columbia and the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has served as
a Visiting Professor at Harvard and Stanford and as the Low Tuck Kwong
Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National University of
Singapore. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of
Chicago. He is the author of Green Cities: Urban Growth and the
Environment (Brookings Institution Press 2006) and the co-author of Heroes and Cowards: The Social Face of War (Princeton
University Press 2009). In September 2010, Basic Books published his book
titled Climatopolis . In July 2013, he
published his book titled:Fundamentals of Environmental Economics: Solving Urban
Pollution Problems. My research focuses on environmental,
urban, real estate, and energy economics.
He also serves as the Director of
Research for the UCLA Anderson School’s Ziman
Real Estate Center. Please see Professor Kahn’s website for more information.

IoES/Luskin Research Seminar: Xavier Swamikannu
2014-04-07 12:00 - 13:00
Presented by Xavier Swamikannu, IoES Assistant Adjunct Faculty Candidate”Environmental Protection Priorities and Challenges in South Asia”

Environment and Energy Economics Weekly Seminar: W. Reed Walker
2014-04-03 14:00 - 15:30
“Every Breath You Take | Every Dollar You’ll Make:The Long-Term Consequences of the Clean Air Act of 1970″AbstractThis paper examines the long-term impacts of in-utero andearly childhood exposure to ambient air pollution on adult labor market
outcomes. We take advantage of a new administrative data set that is uniquely
suited for addressing this question because it combines information on
individuals’ quarterly earnings together with their counties and dates of
birth. We use the sharp changes in ambient air pollution concentrations driven
by the implementation of the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments as a source of
identifying variation, and we compare cohorts born in counties that experienced
large changes in total suspended particulate (TSP) exposure to cohorts born in
counties that had minimal or no changes. We find a significant relationship
between TSP exposure in the year of birth and adult labor market outcomes. A 10
unit decrease in TSP in the year of birth is associated with a 1 percent
increase in annual earnings for workers aged 29-31. Most, but not all, of this
effect is driven by an increase in labor force participation. In present value,
the gains from being born into a county affected by the 1970 Clean Air Act
amount to about $4,300 in lifetime income for the 1.5 million individuals born
into these counties each year.http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/rwalker/research/CAAlongtermHealth.pdf About the Speaker:Reed
Walker is currently a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy at the
University of California – Berkeley. After his fellowship with the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, he will join the faculty at the University of California –
Berkeley’s Haas School of Business as an assistant professor in Business and
Public Policy. He received his PhD in economics from Columbia University in
2012. His research explores the social costs of environmental externalities
such as air pollution and how existing regulations to limit these externalities
contribute to distortions in various product markets.

Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age: Creating a Digitally Fluent Workforce
2014-04-01 12:00 - 13:30
PUBLIC POLICY FOR INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE SERIESCreating a Digitally Fluent WorkforceVIEW HIGHLIGHTS, PHOTOS, AND VIDEOModeratorJohn Villasenor Professor of Electrical Engineering and Public Policy, UCLA and Digital Technology Initiative Director, UCLA Luskin Center for InnovationPanelistsLori Harnick General Manager, Citizenship & Public Affairs, MicrosoftSarah Holland Public Policy, GoogleJane Margolis Senior Researcher, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information StudiesTodd Ullah, Ed.D. Administrator, Los Angeles Unified School District Economic prosperity in the 21st century will be directly correlated to a digitally fluent workforce. This will require an education system that provides not only access to digital technologies and services, but that also fosters fluency in their use. This does not mean everyone should be a computer science major. It does mean, however, that K-12 schools and universities will need to ensure that their curricula reflect the growing ties between technology and innovation in the global digital economy.This panel session will explore how to create a digitally fluent workforce, addressing the questions:1. What is the level of digital fluency in the workforce today, and what are the critical gaps?2. Other than the obvious (though not always accurate) generalization that young people are more comfortable with technology, what are some notable features of the landscape today with respect to digital fluency? What does this mean for how education regarding computing technologies should evolve?3. What are best practices or model programs helping to democratize access and opportunities for young people to acquire computer skills?4. What are the proper roles of the federal, state and local governments and companies in fostering digital fluency?5. How can universities work to preserve the vital role of liberal arts education in a climate that places increasing emphasis on skills such as computer programming?All Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age panels are free. Registration is required. Seating will be first come, first served. Lunch will be served. Daily parking is $12. Pay-by-space parking is also available in Parking Structure SV.

The California-Quebec Adventure: Linking Cap and Trade as a Path to Global Climate Action?
2014-03-31 08:45 - 16:45
A symposium on the recent linkage of the California and Quebec cap-and-trade programs and its implication for broader international climate cooperationClick here to RSVP for this event Click here for directions to this eventAt the beginning of this year, California and Quebec linked their greenhouse gas cap-and-trade programs. This means that sources of greenhouse gases in each jurisdiction can trade emission allowances issued under either program. This linkage represents a key step forward in developing international cooperative mechanisms to address climate change. As a result, there is a lot at stake in making this program successful, and some important questions for how to do this remain to be answered. What are the pitfalls to avoid going forward? How can California and Quebec best coordinate the joint auctions scheduled later this year? How can we further expand this program and encourage other regulators to create regional linkages?This symposium takes on these issues and other topics related to the California-Quebec linkage, featuring panels of academics and policymakers from the United States and Canada.SponsorsCanadian Studies at UCLA ProgramEmmett Center on Climate Change and the EnvironmentInstitute of the Environment and SustainabilityLuskin Center for InnovationCanadian Consulate in Los AngelesThe Government of QuebecThe California Air Resources Board
Agenda
​
​8:45am
Welcome​
Glen MacDonald, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Mr. James Villeneuve, Canadian Consul General (invited)
Alain Houde, Head of Post, Quebec Delegation in LA (invited)
​9-10:15am
​Keynote Panel: The Past, Present and Future of the
California/Quebec Linkages
Mary Nichols, California Air Resource Board Chairman
Yves-François Blanchet, Minister of the Sustainable Development Wildlife and
Parks (invited)
Keynote statements followed by questions from a faculty panel, then audience
Q&A.
Faculty panel:
Ann Carlson, UCLA School of Law
Matt Kahn, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Michael Jaccard, Simon Fraser University
​10:30am- Noon
​The Economists Panel: What are the benefits of this
linkage? What are its drawbacks, and how should we minimize them?
Matt Kahn, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
J.R. DeShazo, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Severin Bornstein, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Bernard Sinclair-Desgagné, Professor, Department of International Business,
HEC Montreal
​Noon-1:00pm
Lunch
​1:15-2:45pm
​Law Panel: What implementation challenges is the linkage
creating? How are they being addressed, and what more should be done?
Katherine Trisolini, Loyola Law School, Moderator
Michael Gibbs, California Air Resources Board
Jean-Yves Benoit, Director, Carbon Market Division, Climate Change Office,
Québec
JP Brisson, Latham & Watkins
Danny Cullenward, UC Berkeley
​3:00-4:15pm
​“Building Blocks” Panel: Will the California/Quebec
linkage encourage other internationally linked climate programs?
Alex Wang, UCLA School of Law, moderator
Fran Pavley, State Senator and Author of AB 32
Mark Jaccard, Professor, School of Resources and Environmental Management,
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
Erick Lachapelle, Assistant Professor, University of Montreal
​4:15-4:30pm
​Summing Up
Ann Carlson and Matt Kahn
​4:30pm
​Cocktail Reception

Envronmental Forum - Hosted by Assemblymember Mike Gatto
2014-03-29 10:00 - 11:30
Assemblymember Mike Gatto, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Policy invite you to a FREE seminar on how current trends will affect future decisions in our community, in everything from development, transportation, and the food we eat.Californians are facing serious threats to our economy and the environment. We will provide some not-so-obvious tips on how each of us can do our part.For more information or to RSVP, contact Assemblyman Gatto’s office at: (818) 558-3043 orAssemblymember.Gatto@assembly.ca.gov.

SB 535 Workshop: Investment Justice Through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
2014-03-21 08:30 - 18:00
With billions of dollars expected for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (the Fund), California has a tremendous opportunity to make smart investments that will combat climate change while maximizing environmental, public health and economic benefits for disadvantaged communities. SB 535 (de Leόn) requires that at least 25 percent of the moneys in the Fund go to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. To support the development of an analytical and equitable approach for this process, the UCLA Luskin Center is collaborating with the SB 535 Quad and others to convene leading experts from government, academia, and community-based organizations. Objectives include:Advance criteria and metrics to help the State make strategic investment decisions with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in, for and with disadvantaged communities.Begin to rank programs for funding prioritization based on these criteria and metrics. Recommend how these programs could be best implemented, used and even modified or augmented to maximize benefits in disadvantaged communitiesA report with recommendations for State decision makers will be released by the Luskin Center after the workshop.For more details, please see the event website: www.sb535workshop.wordpress.comTHIS IS AN INVITE-ONLY EVENT. To attend, please register with the password contained in your invitation.

IoES/Luskin Research Seminar: Miriam Golden
2014-03-03 12:00 - 13:00
“Climate Change, Public Health andViolence in Arctic Canada”Exploiting the differential impact of climate change on the
25 Inuit villages in the territory of Nunavut, Canada whose location spans a
north-south distance of 3,000 kilometers allows a natural experiment of
the effects of changes in the ice melt on human communities. Using data from
quarterly police incident reports from 2005 to 2009 in conjunction with 30
years of passive microwave data available from the National Snow and Ice Data
Center, we study whether public disturbances and serious crime increase in the
spring quarter where the impact of climate change has been more severe. Results
are consistent with the hypothesis that where climate change has had the
greatest effect in reducing sea ice concentration, spring quarter rates of
public disturbances and violent activities are relatively higher. We interpret
this to show that when Inuit men are not able to travel reliably on the ice to
hunt, the public health of their communities deteriorates. About the speaker:Miriam Golden is the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science at UCLA. At the undergraduate level she teaches PS167D, “Political Institutions and Economic Development,” and at the graduate level she teaches seminars on distributive politics and on inequality as well as politics. She recently served as Chair of the American Political Science Association’s Organized Section in Political Economy and is a member of the editorial boards of various U.S. and European professional journals. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the International Growth Centre, and the Governments of Quebec and Canada. Professor Golden was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University for the 2011-2012 academic year.

UCLA Green Building Symposium – Building Better Places
2014-02-26 13:00 - 15:00
FREE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HEREKorn Convocation Hall, Entrepreneurs Hall, 3rd FloorUCLA Anderson School of Management 12:30PM to 1:00PM – Registration1:00PM to 3:00PM – Keynote, Panel Presentation, Audience Q&A3:00PM to 4:00PM – Reception, Entrepreneurs Hall Atrium, 2nd Floor.**********KEYNOTEJeffrey T. Mezger, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, KB HomeMODERATORDavid Hodgins, President and CEO, Sustento Group, LCCPANELISTSMatthew E. Kahn, Director of Research, UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate; and Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment and SustainabilityDaniele Horton, Founder and Principal, Verdani PartnersPeter T. Belisle II, Southwest Market Director, Jones Lange LaSalleAdhamina Rodriguez, Director of Sustainability, Swinerton BuildersMatt Petersen, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Los Angeles**********Admission is free. A reception with complimentary refreshments will immediately follow the program downstairs in UCLA Anderson’s Entrepreneurs Hall 2nd floor Atrium.Directions from 405 Freeway:Exit on Sunset Boulevard and proceed east on Sunset about 1.5 miles to the Westwood entrance of campus. Turn right onto Westwood; proceed straight ahead to the ramp leading underground to the Parking Structure 4 (P4) parking area.For UCLA Anderson maps and directions:http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/about/maps-and-directionsParking:$12 pay-per-space parking is available to attendees in UCLA Parking Lot 4. To pay for parking in P4, simply proceed to the Lot 4 kiosk, pay the attendant and s/he will issue you a one-day parking pass and direct you to the appropriate Lot 4 parking level.Directions to UCLA Anderson Korn Convocation Hall:Most direct route: Take the stairs (up) located between the UCLA Anderson Gold Hall and Entrepreneurs Hall. Turn right at the top of the stairs and go through the double glass doors into the Entrepreneurs Hall building. Take the elevator or stairs (located in the center of the room) up one floor to the 3rd floor. Korn Convocation Hall is located to the left of the elevator and top of the staircase.

Lisa Jackson on Transforming our Common Environment and Energy Futures: Perspectives on the Journey from Public Servant to Private Citizen
2014-02-12 18:00 - 20:30
An Oppenheim Lecture featuring Lisa Jackson, Vice President, Environmental Initiatives, Apple and Former Administrator, US Environmental Protection AgencyRSVP by Wednesday, February 5, 2014- Reservations are required6:00 pm Light Reception7:00 pm LectureLisa Jackson started her public career as a chemical engineer working in government. Twenty years later, Ms. Jackson was President Obama’s choice to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There, she oversaw the work of over 17,000 people across the country, including headquarters offices in Washington, D.C., 10 regional offices, and more than a dozen labs. As Administrator, she focused on a core of issues, from reducing greenhouse gases, to protecting air and water quality, preventing exposure to toxic contamination and expanding outreach to communities on environmental issues. In 2013 she left public service after 25 years and joined Apple, as vice president of Environmental Initiatives, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. At Apple, Ms. Jackson is overseeing the company’s efforts to reduce their environmental impact, ranging from removing toxics from its products, incorporating renewable energy in its facilities, addressing electronic waste and continually raising the bar for energy efficiency in the electronics industry.Ms. Jackson will bring her considerable experience to bear to talk about how government and business can fundamentally transform the way we address these environmental and energy challenges.Lisa P. JacksonVice President, Environmental Initiatives, AppleFormer Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency Co-Sponsored by: The Luskin Center for InnovationCo-Hosted by: UCLA Center for Corporate Environmental Performance, UCLA Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA Environmental Law, UCLA Leaders in Sustainability Program, Net Impact, UCLA Anderson School of Management, UCLA Sustainable Technology and Policy Program, Coalition for Clean Air, and Global Green USA.

IoES/Luskin Research Seminar: Glen MacDonald
2014-02-03 12:00 - 13:00
“Droughtthat has altered past societies: What can they tell us about today?”About the speaker:Glen M. MacDonald is a UCLA Distinguished Professor, a UC Presidential
Chair and Director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment. He is also a
Professor of Geography and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at
UCLA.
His research focuses on climate change,
its causes and its impact on the environment and society. He works on climate
variability and environmental change using observational and other records. He
has worked on climate and environmental change issues in North America, Eurasia
and Africa. A particular focus of his work has been on water resources in
western North America and the global semi-arid regions. He is known for work on
the concept of the ‘Perfect Drought’. He also conducts research on issues such as
California coastal marshes and the impact of rising sea levels. His work has
been supported by the Royal Society of Canada, NSERC, NSF, EPA, DOI and
private foundations.Read full bio.

Dr Renée Kidson on Accounting for Carbon – National Greenhouse Gas Inventories & International Reporting
2014-01-23 15:30 - 17:00
The United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the leading international
treaty for action on climate change. Parties to the Convention, including the
US & Australia, must submit annually a national greenhouse gas inventory,
which tracks emissions and their various sources over time. The Kyoto Protocol
to the Convention also requires parties to commit to binding emission reduction
targets: the inventories are central to tracking progress towards these
targets. This seminar explains the UN carbon accounting principles and how
national greenhouse gas inventories are constructed for reporting under these
international instruments. The Australian Inventory is presented as a
focal case study: the data sources and estimation methods are detailed, and
trends are discussed across the Energy, Industrial Processes, Agriculture,
Waste and Land Sectors. The many parallels with the US Inventory experience are
explored, and the UN’s expert peer review process, a critical Quality Assurance
measure, is described.
Australia has over
20 years’ experience in publishing national greenhouse gas inventories, and one
of the biggest challenges, shared by the US, is the estimation of carbon in the
landscape at continental scale. In response to this challenge, Australia has
developed sophisticated methods and models using remote sensing and spatial
analysis. A key future challenge for international carbon accounting –
estimating uncertainties in land use change and forestation – is discussed.
Finally, institutional and regulatory policies supporting national inventory
data collection are presented, along with Monitoring, Reporting and
Verification activities.
The Presenter:
Dr Renée Kidson is
Director of the Australian National Inventory, and is an Energy Specialist on
the UN Roster of Experts. She is also a Fellow at the UCSC Center for
Integrated Water Research, where she conducts research as a future water supply
strategist. Renée works with major cities that have reached the limit of their
natural local water supplies (from rivers and reservoirs) and are exploring
alternative sources (such as desalination) to support their city’s future
growth given climate change. Dr Kidson performs scenario modelling under
different climate change futures, allowing cities to evaluate their options and
make sound investment decisions to secure their future water reliability.

US-AUSTRALIAN DIALOGUE ON WATER
2014-01-13 10:00 - 17:00
This event will bring together Australian and US Experts to challenge existingthinking on water issues and to explore twenty-first century solutions.Topics for Discussion Include:Global Water Management by 2050How will Sydney and Los Angeles Manage Water in 2050?Integrating Recycled WaterStormwater Capture for Water Supply by 2050For more information CLICK HERETo Register: CLICK HERE

Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age: Crowdsourcing, Paywalls, and the Future of News
2014-01-07 12:00 - 13:30
PUBLIC POLICY FOR INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE SERIESCrowdsourcing, Paywalls, and the Future of NewsVIEW HIGHLIGHTS, PHOTOS, AND VIDEOModeratorJohn Villasenor Professor of Electrical Engineering and Public Policy, UCLAPanelistsTorie Bosch Future Tense editor, Slate/New America FoundationJames Rainey Political Writer, Los Angeles TimesDean Schaffer Producer, AllvoicesRuss Stanton Vice President of Content, Southern California Public RadioThe Internet and social networks have dramatically changed how news is acquired and delivered. Far more people than in the past are able participate in the newsgathering process. In addition, news consumers can also become news disseminators through the use of social networks to propagate links to timely stories. Consumer expectations regarding news have changed as well, with people often expecting nearly immediate information, particularly when there are breaking news events. Against this backdrop, traditional media organizations are working to identify business models that can allow them to maintain profitability while also maximizing audience in an increasingly cluttered news landscape. This panel of media leaders will discuss the extent to which models based on paid subscriptions are viable, and the policy issues that accompany an ecosystem in which full coverage news is accessible only to the segment of the population with the means to pay.Key questions:How has crowdsourcing altered newsgathering?How has crowdsourcing altered news dissemination?What is the role of social networks in disseminating news?How has crowdsourcing increased and/or decreased the accuracy of news reporting?For traditional news organizations, are models based on paid subscriptions viable? If so, is there room for only a few companies in a given segment?What are the policy problems that accompany an ecosystem in which news is no longer free – and in which it is therefore accessible only to the segment of the population with the means to pay? E.g., if much of online news is behind a paywall, and if radio and over-the-air television are playing a less significant role in news delivery than in the past, what are the appropriate policy responses?To what extent to legal protections for reporters apply to people involved in crowdsourcing?How are traditional news companies dealing with crowdsourcing?All Public Policy for Innovation in the Digital Age panels are free. Registration is Required. Seating will be first come, first served. Lunch will be served. Daily parking is $12. Pay-by-space parking is available also in Parking Structure SV.
