UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Environmental Economics, Policy and Management Monthly Seminar Series: Dennis Aigner
2013-03-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Sustainabilityand Competitiveness in Mexico
Dennis J. Aigner
University of California, Irvine and EGADE Business School,
Tecnológico de Monterrey
and
Antonio Lloret
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
January 2013
ABSTRACT
This paper summarizes
the findings of a research project aimed at benchmarking the environmental
sustainability practices of the top 500 Mexican companies. This was done
by surveying firms with regard to various aspects of their adoption of environmental
sustainability practices, including who or what prompted adoption, future
adoption plans, decision-making responsibility, and internal/external
challenges. The survey also explored how the adoption of environmental
sustainability practices relates to the competitiveness of these firms.
The sample consisted
of 103 self-selectedfirms representing the six primary business sectors in the
Mexican economy. Because the Manufacturing sector is significantly
overrepresented in the sample and because of its importance in addressing
issues of environmental sustainability, when appropriate, specific results for
this sector are reported and contrasted to the overall sample.
Our results suggest
that Mexican companies are very active in the various areas of business where
environmental sustainability is relevant. Not surprisingly, however, the
Mexican companies are seen to be at an early stage of development along the
sustainability “learning curve”. The vast majority of these firms see adopting
environmental sustainability practices as being profitable and think this will
be even more important in the future. BIOGRAPHYDennis
J. Aigner
is Emeritus Professor of Management & Economics in the Paul Merage School
of Business at the University
of California, Irvine
(UCI). From 2000-05, he was Dean of
the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. From 1988-97
he was Dean of the Graduate School of Management at UCI. Before that, he was
Professor of Economics and Chairman of the Department of Economics at the
University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.
He received his BS and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of California,
Berkeley and
holds an MA in Applied Statistics from that same institution. He was on the teaching faculties at the University of Illinois and the University of
Wisconsin-Madison prior to his appointment at USC in 1976.
Aigner’s publication record includes
several books and numerous articles on statistical and econometric methodology,
and applied economics. He was founding
editor of the Journal of Econometrics
and one of its co-editors for 20 years. His research interests include
corporate environmental management, international trade, and state and local
economic issues.
Aigner’s current research focuses on empirical and
theoretical work relating to the linkage between corporate environmental
performance and financial performance. For several years he organized a research
workshop on behalf of the EPA on “Capital Markets and Environmental
Performance” that explored the topic with academic researchers, practitioners,
and members of the corporate sector. From 2003-09 he served as a member of the
National Advisory Committee to the U.S. EPA Administrator on the environmental
aspects of NAFTA. Most recently, he completed a survey of the top 400 Mexican
firms with regard to their sustainability practices, funded by a UC-MEXUS
grant.
He presently holds the position of Distinguished Visiting
Professor at the EGADE Business School of the Monterrey Institute of Technology
in Mexico.

IoES/Luskin Lunch Research Seminar - Elizabeth DeLoughrey
2013-03-04 12:00 - 13:00
“The Myth of Isolates: Ecosystem Ecologies in the Nuclear PacificElizabeth DeLoughrey, Associate ProfessorUniversity of California, Los AngelesDepartments of English, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Professor DeLoughrey joined the English Department in 2008. Her scholarship has been supported by institutions such as the NEH, Rockefeller, UCLA Global Studies Program, Fulbright, and the Cornell Society for the Humanities. She recently co-edited a volume on postcolonial ecologies and is currently writing a manuscript on environmentalism, energy, militarism and waste. In 2011 she co-organized the Legacies of Pacific Island Militarization workshop and in 2010 the Globalized Islands: Contemporary Literature & the Transnational Encounter conference. In 2009 she was one of the departmental co-organizers of the Mellon Foundation’s Cultural Pre-history of Environmentalism Project. She teaches postcolonial literature courses on the environment, globalization, the politics of food, women’s writing and migration, and Pacific Island literature.

UCLA COMPLETE STREETS FOR CALIFORNIA 2013 CONFERENCE
2013-02-28 08:00 - 19:00
The UCLA Complete Streets for California conference on Thursday, February 28, 2013,will highlight recent accomplishments, explore new research, and presentimplementation examples and benchmarks to create multi-use street environmentsthat promote vibrant, healthy and active communities.Featuring Keynote Address from:Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of TransportationThe conference will provide information on Complete Streets issues forplanners, elected and appointed public officials, engineers, non-profitorganizations, advocates, consultants, students and others involved in the Complete Streets field.For more information and to register CLICK HERECo-hosts:UCLA Lewis CenterUCLA Institute of Transportation StudiesUCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Social & Environmental Justice Through Spatial Lenses
2013-02-22 08:00 - 17:00
Social & Environmental Justice Through Spatial LensesApplying Knowledge of Space, Place & Networks to Equitable SolutionsA UCLA Luskin Faculty Executive Committee SymposiumThe Luskin Faculty Executive Committee sponsors an annual inter-departmental symposium linking scholarship to real-world practice to address critical issues. This year, UCLA and national experts will examine the use of spatial analysis to study how space and place produce and reproduce social, economic and environmental inequality. Luskin scholars have been at the forefront of multi-disciplinary GIS-based research and the application of spatial knowledge to solution-oriented action.
Speakers:Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.Robert Ross, President & CEO, California EndowmentEvy Blumenberg, UCLA Luskin professor of Urban PlanningJ.R. DeShazo, Director, UCLA Luskin Center for InnovationPaul Ong, UCLA Luskin professor of Urban Planning and Social WelfareManuel Pastor, USC Program for Environmental and Regional EquityBridget Freisthler, UCLA Luskin professor Social WelfarePaul J. Gruenewald, Pacific Institute for Research and EvaluationIan Holloway, UCLA Luskin professor of Social WelfareLois Takahashi, UCLA Luskin professor of Urban PlanningLaura Abrams, UCLA Luskin professor of Social WelfareTodd Franke, UCLA Luskin professor of Social WelfareBridget Freisthler, UCLA Luskin professor of Social WelfareMichael Stoll, UCLA Luskin professor of Public PolicyLeo Estrada, UCLA Luskin professor of Urban PlanningFor more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Westside Mayors 2013
2013-02-15 07:00 - 09:00
The Westside cities – West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, and Santa Monica – are all on different but overlapping paths to bright futures. Santa Monica is becoming Silicon Beach, Culver City welcomed the Expo Line, eclectic projects continue to break ground in West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills looks forward to cutting the ribbon on the new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Each city has strategies to achieve distinct goals. Do they need to work together to achieve mutual success or is competition healthy as each city works to attract businesses and discretionary dollars? How do decisions made in each city affect the Westside as a whole? What is each mayor’s vision for the future of these unique, but connected cities? Please join the Westside Urban Forum at the Olympic Collection on Friday, February 15th at 7:30 am with the Mayors of each of these cities in a timely conversation moderated by JR DeShazo, Director of the UCLA Luskin Center.ModeratorJR DeShazo, UCLA Luskin Center for InnovationPanelistsHon. Willie Brien, Mayor of Beverly HillsHon. Pam O’Connor, Mayor of Santa MonicaHon. Jeffrey Prang, Mayor of West HollywoodHon. Andy Weissman, Mayor of Culver CityFor more information and to regiister CLICK HERE

Oppenheim Lecture: Conservation for Our World of Nine Billion People: The End of Nostalgia and Apocaholism
2013-02-13 18:00 - 20:30
PeterKareiva is
the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he is responsible for
developing and helping to implement science-based conservation throughout this
worldwide conservation organization and for forging new linkages with
partners. To register CLICK HEREThe Oppenheim Lecture Series has been established at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability through a generous gift by Patricia Oppenheim and her family in memory of Rudi Oppenheim. This evening lecture series presents world class speakers to educate, inform and build community discourse about the diverse environmental problems of our time.

Environmental Economics, Policy and Management Monthly Seminar Series: Charles Corbett
2013-02-11 12:00 - 13:00
Energy Efficiency in Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms:Order Effects and the Adoption of Process Improvement Recommendations

Suresh Muthulingam, Cornell University, Johnson School of
Management
Charles Corbett, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Shlomo Benartzi, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Bohdan Oppenheim, Loyola Marymount University

Abstract
In
many manufacturing operations, profitable energy efficiency opportunities
remain unexploited. While previous studies have tried to explain the
underinvestment, we focus on how the way in which a portfolio of opportunities
is presented in a list affects adoption decisions. We use information on over
100,000 energy saving recommendations made to more than 13,000 small and
medium-sized manufacturing firms under the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC)
program of the US Department of Energy (DOE).We find that adoption rates are
higher for initiatives appearing early in a list of recommendations. This
sequence effect is surprisingly consistent and large: simply moving a
recommendation one position lower, at the mid-point of a list, has the same
effect on average as increasing upfront implementation cost by at least 17%
from the average value. Given this impact of sequence on adoption of individual
recommendations, we utilize variations within our data to examine how various
sequencing approaches affect adoption at the portfolio level. Sequences in
which recommendations are listed from best to worst payback achieve higher
potential energy savings given the investments in energy efficiency made by the
firms. We also observe a choice overload effect at the portfolio level, but the
magnitude of this effect is small.

IoES/Luskin Lunch Research Seminar - J.R. DeShazo
2013-02-04 12:00 - 13:00
“The Future of Plug-In Electric Vehicles”Link to presentation slides CLICK HEREJ.R. DeShazo, Director of the Luskin Center forInnovation and Professor and Vice Chair of the
Department of Public Policy in the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, is an expert in economics, public finance, and
organizational governance. He holds a Ph.D.
in Urban Planning from Harvard University and a M.Sc. in Economics from Oxford University. His current research with electric vehicles
and alternative fuels is in partnership with the Southern California
Association of Governments’ Electric Vehicle Readiness Project which will develop a plan for siting electric vehicle charging
stations in six Southern California counties.
Dr. DeShazo’s recent research has also focused on
local public finance, regulatory reform, climate change policy, and solar
energy policy. He advises the Los
Angeles City Council and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California, among key agencies. He has
previously advised the US Environmental Protection Agency and the United
Nations, among others.

Alternative Testing Strategies for Carbon Nanotubes and Other Modes of Nanomaterial Toxicity: Developing a 21st Century Scientific and Policy Framework for Industrial Chemicals
2013-01-16 08:00 - 17:00
Invitation only event, January 16-17.Participant log-in at:Alternative Testing Strategies for Carbon Nanotubes and Other Modes of Nanomaterial Toxicity: Developing a 21st Century Scientific and Policy Framework for Industrial Chemicals

IoES/Luskin Lunch Research Seminar - Bradley Shaffer
2013-01-07 12:00 - 13:00
Bradley Shaffer, Distinguished ProfessorUniversity of California, Los AngelesDepartments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Shaffer is a scientist who is as comfortable working with business leaders, politicians, activists and citizens on conservation policy questions as he is in the laboratory untangling amphibian genetics. Shaffer recently left UC Davis to become Distinguished Professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and theDepartment of Ecology and Evolution. He is also director ofUCLA’s La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, which forges connections between state-of-the-art science and scientists with the people who make crucial decisions about California nature.Research Evolutionary biology, ecology and conservation biology of amphibians and reptiles. Recent research projects include comparative phylogeography of amphibians and reptiles in California and the central U.S., systematics of freshwater turtles and tortoises in Australia, California, and the rest of the globe, and conservation genetics of endangered California amphibians and reptiles. Recently, we have focused a great deal of ecological and genetical work on the California tiger salamander, an endangered species native to central California grassland habitat.

Regulatory Moneyball: Lessons from the Obama Administration
2012-12-06 17:00 - 19:00
One of America’s leading public intellectuals and anadvisor to President Obama, Cass R. Sunstein recently served as Administrator
of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, within the
Office of Management and Budget. In this
position, he influenced the design and development of federal regulations.
Professor Sunstein will present his approach to regulatory policymaking and
share his experience in the White House.
As the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, he has
authored over 36 books, including “Nudge,” (with Richard H. Thaler),
“Worst-Case Scenarios,” and “Republic.com 2.0.” His research and teaching interests include
administrative law, environmental law, welfare law, jurisprudence, and
constitutional law.To register CLICK HERE

IOES/Luskin Research Seminar- Magali Delmas
2012-12-03 12:00 - 13:00
“CorporateSustainability and Employee Productivity” Magali Delmas, Professor of ManagementUniversity of California, Los AngelesUCLA Institute of the Environment & UCLA Anderson School of Management Magali Delmas has written more than 50 articles, book chapters and case studies on business and the natural environment. Standing at the crossroads of policy and management, Magali Delmas’ research focuses on the various interactions between environmental policy and business strategy at the national and international level. Delmas’ current work includes the analysis of the effectiveness of firms’ voluntary actions to mitigate climate change and the investigation of the barriers and incentives to the adoption of energy efficient solutions. She is also engaged in refining current methodologies to measure and communicate firm’s and products’ environmental performance. She is particularly interested in understanding the effectiveness of eco-labeling and certification strategies.

IoES/Luskin Lunch Research Seminar - Aradhna Tripati
2012-11-05 12:00 - 13:00
Glacial Climate
Aradhna Tripati, Assistant Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
Departments of Earth and Space Sciences & Atmospheric and
Oceanic Sciences, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics

My research group uses
the sedimentary record to address fundamental questions about the dynamics of
climate change, both past and future. We work on the development and
application of novel geochemical tools to document and understand the evolution
of temperature, ice volume, and pH. The principal aim of our research is to
understand the role of the carbon cycle in changing seawater chemistry and
climate.
Our research is
focused on applying innovative experimental approaches in order to use the
geologic record as a rich laboratory for the study of climate processes. The
primary tools we use include the new ‘clumped isotope’ thermometer, and the
elemental composition of carbonates. We also integrate geochemical measurements
with field-based observations, sedimentologic and micropaleontologic data, and
models.
Research topics we are
currently pursuing include studying: (1) changes in tropical and subtropical
climate from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present, (2) calcification and
diagenetic processes that govern isotopic and elemental distributions in
carbonate minerals, (3) polar climate stability during past warm intervals in
Earth’s history, (4) the evolution of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and its
consequences on oceanic pH, and (5) the history of the major cationic
composition of seawater.

Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative Annual Awards Gala, supported by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
2012-10-14 14:00 - 17:00
Get your ticket today before they are sold out! Event details and to get your ticket, go to:http://lascawards.eventbrite.com/

CicLAvia
2012-10-07 10:00 - 15:00
c LA’s biggest block party is less than two weeks away and features a modified route that hits South LA and explores more of Boyle Heights. Visit CicLAvia.org for more info.Volunteer! Volunteers make CicLAvia possible. LACBC is once again partnering with CicLAvia for volunteer coordination, and there are several opportunities available. Whether you want to get a group together to Check our CicLAvia.org/volunteer to volunteer! Volunteers get a CicLAvia shirt and an invite to the exclusive CicLAvia after party.To get you ready, here are a few CicLAvia quick links:Map and route info: ciclavia.org/next-eventFeeder bike rides and directions: ciclavia.org/directionsFind LACBC at the Grand Hub and Mariachi HubVolunteer opportunities: ciclavia.org/volunteerBike rental options: Bike Nation, Downtown LA Bicycles, El MaestroThings to do: Walk the route with the LA Walks Parade, check out architecture, find great eats

UCLA Environmental Graduate Students Networking Event
2012-10-02 17:30 - 19:30
REGISTER HERE.

7th Annual Alternative Energy & Transportation Conference & Expo
2012-09-28 10:00 - 2012-09-29 17:00
J.R. DeShazo, Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will be speaking Saturday, September 29th at 12:00 p.m. “EV common sense for HOA common areas” – Preparing for Plug-in Electric Vehicles: Multi-family, High Rise Apartments, Condos/Townhomes (Car sharing) Free Admission to the Expo Hall, Ride & Drive and most programming.Please visit website for more information: ALTCAR EXPO

11th Annual Southern California Transportation Summit: We're All In This Together
2012-09-28 08:00 - 16:00
Ayala Ben-Yehuda, Project Manager for Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness for the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will be a panelist at the largest one-day transportation conference in the state. It’s the only place where you can mix and mingle with every transportation CEO in Southern California, policy makers and nationally-known transportation experts. The day will be action-packed with breakouts, provocative presentations and an exciting expo hall. With record attendance last year, nearly 1,000 transportation leaders convened in downtown Los Angeles. We expect this year’s event to attract over 1,000 transportation, business and political leaders!For more information and to register CLICK HERE

Luskin Research Centers' Orientation
2012-09-26 12:00 - 14:00
The research centers in the Luskin School of Public Affairs will provide an overview of their work and the opportunities available to graduate students. This research orientation lunch is part of Orientation Week for incoming graduate students in the Departments of Urban Planning and Public Policy.

Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012
2012-09-10 15:00 - 2012-09-13 17:00
Madeline Brozen, Program Manager, of the UCLA Complete Streets Initiative will present at two workshops:Parklets
Mobile Workshop
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Power of the Performance Metric Session
Thursday, September 13, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
More information may be found here: http://www.pps.org/pwpb2012/program/
Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2012: Pro Place will feature over 100 presentations on six major conference themes and Placemaking. Click to download the full program, or follow the links above if you are interested in a particular day.
Invest + Govern. Bicycling and walking investments are ready to compete in the new cost-conscious reality and political climate in which we live. We encourage presentations that: quantify the benefits and cost savings to the individual and community; present the business case for supporting bicycling and walking; detail financing models for making investments; and other topics.
Advocate + Include. When our transportation system is balanced, everyone can prosper; when transportation decision-making is inclusive, it builds community. We encourage presentations about: environmental justice achieved; outsiders’ perspective on our work; programs that engage low income and underserved communities; and other topics.
Design + Engineer. New approaches to planning, designing, and building infrastructure are luring new people into cycling, and improving safety for all road users. We encourage presentations that: continue the professional development of planners and engineers; discuss the latest transportation engineering publications/manuals; and present best practices for finding flexibility within existing design standards.
Healthy + Safe. Our neighborhoods can enhance our health and quality-of-life by facilitating social connections and by making walking and biking trips easy and convenient. We encourage presentations from public health professionals and others who have developed successful and low cost models/programs for physical activity/built environment focused interventions. Also included in this category: innovative injury prevention programs, food access programs, programs that address childhood obesity, and programs that prioritize populations experiencing health disparities.
Plan + Connect. Changing demographics, emerging technology, and better collaboration across disciplines, agencies, and travel modes is moving us closer to seamless travel in many major cities. We encourage transportation planning related presentations on the following subjects: successful intergovernmental partnerships; exemplary public involvement practices; innovative and cost-effective applications of technology to improve service; and model bike/ped planning.
SRTS + Beyond. For work that focuses on improving the safety, desirability, and ease of movement for young people walking or biking to/from school. We encourage proposals on the following subjects: best practices for including youth in planning; exemplary SRTS programs (K-12); developing schools as neighborhood assets/destinations; and developing community wide youth mobility plans.
Mobile Workshops.
Peer Problem Solving Sessions.

Policy Translation Seminar on Nanotechnology Research: Soybeans, Soil, and Nodulating Bacteria
2012-09-10 11:30 - 13:30
Article of discussion: “Soybean susceptibility to manufactured nanomaterials with evidence for food quality and soil fertility interruption.”Presented by co-author: Patricia Holden of the University of California Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, University of California, Santa BarbaraAbstract:Based on previously published hydroponic plant, planktonic bacterial, and soil microbial community research, manufactured nanomaterial (MNM) environmental buildup could profoundly alter soil-based food crop quality and yield. However, thus far, no single study has at once examined the full implications, as no studies have involved growing plants to full maturity in MNM-contaminated field soil. We have done so for soybean, a major global commodity crop, using farm soil amended with two high-production metal oxide MNMs (nano-CeO2 and -ZnO). The results provide a clear, but unfortunate, view of what could arise over the long term: (i) for nano-ZnO, component metal was taken up and distributed throughout edible plant tissues; (ii) for nano-CeO2, plant growth and yield diminished, but also (iii) nitrogen fixation—a major ecosystem service of leguminous crops—was shut down at high nano-CeO2 concentration. Juxtaposed against widespread land application of wastewater treatment biosolids to food crops, these findings forewarn of agriculturally associated human and environmental risks from the accelerating use of MNMs.

Southern California Sustainability Forum
2012-08-15 07:00 - 2012-08-16 15:45
UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation Project Manager of the EV Readiness Project, Ayala Ben-Yehuda will be a panelist discussing – Electric Vehicles AreComing: What Local Governments Need to Know. For more information and to register, please visit the LARC website.

Green LA Confidential
2012-08-04 19:00 - 21:00
Please join the Luskin Center in supporting Green LA at their event, Green LA Confidential. This promises to be a fun evening of improv and storytelling featuring LA’s environmental leaders, and will take place at 7:00 pm at The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. Jill Bourque, a highly acclaimed comedian, improviser and producer, will direct Green LA Confidential with a cast of Green LA members. The interactive show will compellingly portray Green LA’s important advocacy work and will demonstrate why the Green LA Coalition is the city’s go to environmental organization.The event will also honor Paula A. Daniels, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s senior policy advisor and the founding chair of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.Time is running out….Purchase ‘EarlyBird’ tickets NOW & get a special bonus!

Plug-In 2012 Conference & Exposition
2012-07-23 09:00 - 2012-07-26 17:00
Brett Williams, Program Director of Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuels at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will be speaking atthe upcoming Plug-In 2012 Conference & Exposition. This will be the 5th
annual event which will provide attendees with the latest insights from
experts on the technical advances, market research and policy initiatives shaping
the future of plug-in hybrid and electric transportation. Plug-in 2012 will build on the successful past
conferences, held in San Jose, CA (2008); Long Beach, CA (2009); San Jose
(2010); and Raleigh, NC (2011). Plug-In 2011 drew more than 600 attendees, 50 exhibiting companies and about 1,300
consumers for Public Night.Brett will be participating on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 from 8:30 am – 10:00 am
in Session A3:
Battery Technology and Business Cases – Future directions for battery
technology and costs and an overview of secondary use and battery recycling.For more information and to register CLICK HERE.

Luskin Center Open House and Reception
2012-06-06 17:30 - 19:00
Come see the newly remodeled Luskin Center office, enjoy light food and drinks, and engage with distinguished members of the Luskin Center Board of Directors and other VIPs from on and off campus.

Valuing anti-logging and anti-poaching policies in the creation of Malaysia's largest Tropical Forest Reserve
2012-06-04 12:00 - 13:00

A World Predominately Powered by Solar and Wind Energy? A Green Family Lecture Featuring Walter Kohn, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
2012-05-29 16:00
RSVP: www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/kohnABSTRACT:It is widely recognized that the fossil fuels, oil and natural gas, which currently provide almost 60% of the world’s energy consumption, will be largely exhausted in a few decades. At the same time world population will have increased by an estimated 30 to 40 percent by mid-century.To avoid a catastrophic energy shortage by mid-century, these fuels must be replaced by ecologically acceptable and sustainable alternatives. Solar and wind power appear to me the most promising candidates. Although, at the present time they constitute only ~ 2 percent of the global energy consumption, their production has recently been rising by a spectacular 30 to 40% per year, or a factor 15 per decade and 225 in 20 years.This arithmetic suggests that the entire deficit stemming from the impending exhaustion of oil and gas might be compensated in about 10 to 20 years by continuing aggressive commitment to solar and wind energy. Walter Kohn’s lecture will examine this speculation. “I find that it provides useful guidelines for the second half of the century and beyond. At the same time, I find a very serious energy deficit during the one to two decades of transition from the present (oil-gas)-era to the (sol-wind)-era, which will require additional measures.”
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:
Kohn has made major contributions to the physics of semiconductors, superconductivity, surface physics and catalysis. He was the founding director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of California in Santa Barbara, which is one of the leading research centers in physics. He has received numerous awards including the Niels Bohr/Unesco Gold Medal, the United States National Medal of Science and the Richard Prange Prize. His role in creating Density Functional Theory, the most widely used theory of the electronic structure of matter, earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998. In recent years, he was an active member of the U.S. government’s Basic Energy Science Advisory Committee and a consultant with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In 2005 he produced a documentary on solar power entitled “The Power of the Sun.” Kohn currently works on Macular Degeneration, renewable energies and global warming.
Originally from Austria, Walter Kahn studied mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto. He then completed his Ph.D. in nuclear physics and a posdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University followed by posdoctoral work at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen.

2012 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo
2012-05-15 08:00 - 2012-05-17 15:00
2012 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo
May 15-17 in Long Beach, California
ACT Expo is North America’s largest alternative fuel and
advanced vehicle technologies event
With
soaring gas prices and mobile transportation sources being a major source of air pollution in Southern California, now is the time to plan and invest
in an alternatively-fueled future.
The
2012 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo is North America’s
largest convergence of stakeholders committed to air quality improvement by reducing emissions from
mobile sources, representing an array of clean vehicle technologies for various
applications. Esteemed event partners include the
U.S. Department of Energy and its Clean Cities Program and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. In
addition, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation is an ACT Expo Event Supporter,
which reinforces the integral role that California
plays in clean vehicle technology advancements.
The three-day event will include keynote speakers, plenary
and breakout sessions, alternative fuel
training, networking events, technical tours and a
ride-and-drive event. Set to attract thousands of alternative fuel
stakeholders, this year’s ACT Expo will feature the following notable speakers
in addition to many others advocating for California air quality initiatives
and clean vehicle technologies:
Barry Wallerstein, Executive Director, South Coast Air Quality
Management District Judith Mitchell, Board Member, South Coast Air Quality Management
District Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City of Los Angeles Mayor Bob Foster, City of Long Beach Wesley K. Clark,
Retired Army General, Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Co-Chairman,
Growth Energy, and Member, Clinton Global Initiative’s Energy and Climate
Change Advisory Board
For a current listing of speakers
and agenda programming, please view the ACT Expo 2012 Agenda.
The discussions that take place at ACT Expo 2012 will result in real projects
and enduring air quality progress in the months and years ahead. Join the UCLA Luskin Center for
Innovation at the ACT Expo in Long Beach this May!
For more information about the ACT Expo, visit www.actexpo.com, call
(888) 993-0302 or email info@actexpo.com. Visit us online at www.facebook.com/ACTExpo and follow us on Twitter, @ACTExpo.

World EV Cities and Ecosystems Conference
2012-05-05 08:00 - 19:00
This one-day conference will bring together 300 leaders from across the globe–city and agency decision makers, business executives, and non-profit leaders–to explore best practices and innovative solutions for the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).Selected invited cities include: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Los Angeles, California, Barcelona, Spain, Melbourne, Australia, Hamburg, Germany, Paris, France, Houston, Texas, Portland, Oregon, Kanagawa, Japan, San Diego, California, Lisbon, Portugal, Shanghai, China, London, England, Stockholm, Sweden
The development of the conference is made possible by a distinguished Steering Committee which includes the following persons:
•David Beeton, EV Ecosystems at International Energy Agency
•Stephen Crolius, Senior Director, Transportation, The William J. Clinton Foundation
•J.R. DeShazo, Director, Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California, Los Angeles
•Ben Holland, Project Get Ready Manager, Rocky Mountain Institute
•Robert Stüssi, President, APEV Portuguese Electric Vehicle Association
•Paul Telleen, U.S. Department of Energy
•Tali Trigg, International Energy Agency
•Tom Turrentine, Director, PH&EV Research Center, Institute of Transportation
Studies, Univeristy of California, Davis•Yunshi Wang, Director, China Center for Energy & Transportation, University of California, Davis
Co-hosted by:
University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin Center for Innovation
University of Calfornia, Davis, Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicla (PH&EV) Research Center
Visit event website HERERegistration is $150, $75 for Government/Non-Profits, and $35 for live webcast

Nature, Urban Development and Sustainability
2012-04-02 12:00 - 13:00
SpeakerProfessor Stephanie Pincetl, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
