The value of clean air is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute May 8

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

The value of clean air is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute May 8  

HOUSTON – (May 4, 2015) – Drew Shindell, a leading climate sciences expert at Duke University, will speak at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy May 8 on the importance of making informed choices about activities that cause emissions leading to climate change and poor air quality. This Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Drew Shindell, professor of climate sciences at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

Regina M. Buono, the Baker Institute’s Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs, will provide introductory remarks.

What: A presentation titled “The Value of Clean Air.”

When: Friday, May 8. Lunch will be served at noon; Shindell’s presentation will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Where: Rice University, James A. Baker III Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

In his talk, Shindell will explore the use of a multi-impact valuation framework that extends the social cost of carbon used previously for carbon dioxide to a broader range of pollutants and impacts. His results suggest that efforts to mitigate atmosphere-related environmental damages should target a broad set of emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane and aerosol/ozone precursors. He also found that total atmosphere-related environmental damages plus generation costs are much greater for coal-fired power than other types of electricity generation, and that damages associated with gasoline vehicles substantially exceed those for electric vehicles. Shindell will also explore the relative importance of uncertainties in climate science, concentration-response relationships and economic projections as they relate to the path forward to providing improved policy-relevant science.

Shindell’s presentation is the third in a series of Center for Energy Studies lectures addressing climate change policy.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/register/1716/?submit=RSVP.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 10 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.