Cheaper Fuels for the Light-Duty Fleet
"Up to this point, we've relied on subsidies and mandates and other tools to try to force E85 into the transportation sector. But based on the work that RFF and others have done, it now looks that there really is a value proposition for consumers."
Jeffrey Holmstead, partner, Bracewell & Giuliani, on the potential of natural gas–derived ethanol to become an economically viable alternative fuel. November 13, 2013.
Species Conservation under the Endangered Species Act: Science, Partnerships, and Effectiveness
"The Endangered Species Act is such an amazing statute because it touches upon all the threats and pressures we face as a growing society: the demands on water, the demands for land, climate change, sea level rise, and new threats that are looming. All of this together creates this truly complex question, but one that’s really fascinating to be a part of."
Paul Souza, deputy assistant director for ecological services, US Fish and Wildlife Service, on evaluating the abilities of the Endangered Species Act. December 4, 2013.
The Shale Gas Debate: How Industry and Environmental Messages Stack Up
"We found that the public is strongly supportive of shale gas development on one condition, and that condition is that it is sustainable. So along with this support, there is public sentiment about the importance of the need to reduce or mitigate shale development risks."
Juha Siikamäki, RFF fellow and associate research director, on gauging public attitudes toward shale gas development. December 6, 2013.
Greenhouse Gas Regulation at Existing Power Plants under the Clean Air Act
"Clean Air Act regulations could be stringent. I emphasize this point because after the demise of the Waxman–Markey legislation, many people thought that the game was pretty much over with respect to climate policy for the foreseeable future, and that perhaps by regulating under the Clean Air Act, we would be in the minor leagues. But what’s happening under the Clean Air Act does not have to be in the minor leagues."
Dallas Burtraw, RFF Darius Gaskins Senior Fellow and associate director of RFF’s Center for Climate and Electricity Policy, on the ability to regulate emissions using existing Clean Air Act tools. January 7, 2014.
Measuring Returns on Investment in Conservation
"You start return on investment analysis with a pretty fundamental question, which is, 'What are the returns that we care about?' In a business context, that’s usually pretty easy and obvious because the returns are financial in nature. But in a conservation context, it's a much more open question."
James Boyd, RFF senior fellow and director of RFF’s Center for the Management of Ecological Wealth, on the financial evaluation of conservation efforts. January 15, 2014.
Public Attitudes about Climate Change and Clean Energy
"Opinions have been overwhelmingly green on the issue [of climate change] and have remained relatively steady over a period of years despite many events that speculators thought might have influenced opinions. Hard-core skeptics remain a tiny fraction of the nation."
RFF University Fellow Jon Krosnick of Stanford on assessing American sentiment regarding climate change. January 28, 2014.
