Environmental policy
Overview
The CCB's policy research focuses on "big picture" issues, including characterizing the impacts on the environment of human population growth and patterns of consumption, the role of equity in sustaining environmental quality, and the influence of human activities on the epidemiological environment. CCB members actively promote the integration of research results into policy decisions.
Current environmental policy research
Gretchen Daily and colleagues have launched a new project titled "Conservation Finance: A Performance Assessment of Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Conservation." This research initiative is examining the potential for harnessing the profit motive and enlightened self-interest for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Please refer to the Conservation Finance web page for more information.
Environmental policy applications
CCB personnel work with many non-governmental organizations and government agencies, to integrate scientific research into policy decisions.
Anne Ehrlich is particularly active in this realm. She is a long-term member of the Board of Directors of the Pacific Institute for Study of the Environment, Development, and Security, which studies diverse resource/environmental problems, including water resource management, environmental justice, international trade, and forestry management. The Pacific Institute scientists present their results to policy makers involved in these issues as well as to the public. Anne Ehrlich is a member of the board of directors of the New-Land Foundation, a small family foundation that supports non-profit groups working in three areas: eliminating weapons of mass destruction; curbing population growth; and environmental preservation, the latter especially in the western United States. She also remains actively involved with the Sierra Club, serving as a member or correspondent of several national committees.
Carol Boggs and Paul Ehrlich are both on the Advisory Board for Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI), which seeks specifically to enhance the use of science in land use and management policy. The CCB has sponsored two meetings at Stanford that had goals of integrating science into policy decisions.
Alan Launer has also provided advice and review of documents to a large number of local, state, and federal governmental groups, including: the city-based group working on the North Livermore regional development plan; federal, state and local agencies in south-central Santa Clara County working on regional land use issues including the fate of serpentine grasslands, checkerspot butterflies, tiger salamanders, red-legged frogs, and fish; the National Park Service at Point Reyes National Seashore working on conservation planning issues; and agencies concerned with a proposed land fill adjacent to Joshua Tree National Monument. In addition, Launer provided information and expertise for a range of agencies, NGOs and environmental consulting firms for projects throughout the state. These included the US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game,
Santa Clara
County
, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Magic Inc, Bay Area Action, Thomas Reid Associates, H. T. Harvey, CH2MHILL, Applied Marine Sciences, Balance Hydrologic, and others.
