October 2001 I2E2 Newsletter

October 2001

New Interterm Courses

I2E2 is proud to announce the creation of two new environment courses, being offered during Winter Interterm 2001. (I2E2 also sponsors the annual Winter Interterm course "Leadership in the Global Century: The Evolving Role of the United Nations.")

Energy Risks and Opportunities for Business

Terrorism has suddenly emerged as an energy risk. Much of America's energy supply depends upon large nuclear plants, oil tankers making their way from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and a complex infrastructure of pipelines and transmission lines. A new course is now available for local business leaders and DU students. This course will examine the issues, opportunities and risks associated with business decisions related to energy. A growing number of businesses are making efforts to manage energy risks such as price volatility, electric reliability, climate change and fossil fuel depletion. The opportunities for investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and conventional technologies will be presented. Participants will learn how to consider risks and opportunities as they develop an appropriate and effective energy management plan.

The course will take place December 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2001. For more information, please contact Professor Penelope Canan at pcanan@du.edu or Instructor Patrick Keegan at pkeegan@energyscience.org.

European Union Environmental Policy: Climate Change

This is new travel course that explores European perspectives on environmental policy making. It will focus specificially on climate change leadership. The EU has emerged as a major governmental policy-making body, and it is leading the way on global environmental policy and action. Current issues such as sustainable development policy, global warming and climate change agreements, and world trade will be greatly affected by developments in the EU. This course will consider the EU's leading role in environmental policy, and assess the implications for Europeans, North Americans, and the rest of the world. The course will provide general background on the EU before reviewing specific environmental policies and the EU position on climate change. These topics will be presented in comparative context, considering how EU policies may influence American policy.

The course will take place in Denver, December 3-4, 2001, followed shortly by five days of lectures and field trips in Oxford and London, England and Brussels, Belgium. For more information, please contact Professor Penelope Canan at pcanan@du.edu or Verna Clark at veclark@du.edu.

Publications Seeking Authors

In the last few months, Don Smith, I2E2 Fellow, has been hard at work establishing an on-going publishing relationship with Elsevier Science in Oxford. Recently, Smith and Elsevier finalized several agreements that may be of interest to the Faculty Associates, Partners, and friends of I2E2.

Specifically, Smith will be contributing articles, directing potential authors towards, and contributing calendar events for three Elsevier publishing efforts:

1) "Refocus," a magazine focused on renewable energy policy and practice. It has about 10,000 subscribers worldwide. Beginning in January 2002, Refocus will be published six times a year. The web address for Refocus is: http://www.re-focus.net/

2) "Corporate Environmental Strategy: The International Journal of Corporate Sustainability," a quarterly journal. This journal is aimed at business professionals and academics who are dealing with the issue of sustainability within the context of corporations and businesses. Various topics that are covered include integrated health, safety and environmental management, stakeholder communication, environmental investment and shareholder value, design for environment, etc. The web address is: http://www.corporate-env-strategy.com/

3) "Electricity on-line," is a web-based service aimed at complementing two existing publications, "The Electricity Journal" and "The Electricity Daily." This web site, which is in its very early stages, is aimed at providing more reference materials as well as calendar events, book reviews, and news and feature stories to professionals who work in electricity generation, distribution, licensing, etc. The web site is:
http://www.electricity-online.com/

Smith would like to call attention to these publications, recognizing that I2E2 Newsletter readers are more than likely to run across ideas, events, books, etc., that could be featured, mentioned, or reviewed in one or several of these publications. Moreover, readers are encouraged to submit articles and materials of their own for publication. Please contact Smith for more information.

Don C. Smith, J.D., LL.M.
Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Enterprise
University of Denver
251 Adams Street
Denver, Colorado 80206 USA
Ph: +1 303 316 8465
Fx: +1 303 316 8435
donsmith@du.edu

Opportunity for DU Faculty: Exchange with Oxford

As part of the University of Oxford's expertise and knowledge in environmental research and teaching, its Mansfield College established the Oxford Centre for the Environment, Ethics, and Society (OCEES)

"It is an important focus of interdisciplinary cooperation particularly from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities. It addresses the underlying philosophical, ethical, economic, social, political and legal issues across cultures and academic disciplines. It seeks to combine original academic research with a contribution to the policy debate by assisting various groups - policymakers, environmental interest groups, and the corporate sector, for example - as they consider plans and programs that have environmental implications."

During Fall Quarter 2000, I2E2 hosted OCEES Director Neil Summerton on both DU campuses, and talks began regarding cooperative arrangements between OCEES and I2E2. Recently, the two institutes agreed to exchange invitations for faculty associates to apply for faculty visits (sabbaticals, e.g.) that would enhance individual careers and institutional research and education. In each instance faculty applications must make the case that the intended scholarly visit is relevant to the activities and goals of the host institute. Arrangements for office space, library access and internet/computer equipment are possible, although the costs are borne by the applicant, as are living expenses. For more information about the institutes, consult the OCEES website at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ocees or the I2E2 website at http://www.du.edu/enviro. To inquire more specifically, please contact Penelope Canan via email at pcanan@du.edu.

Students in the News

Chris Rutan, known at DU as Mr. Environment, is a senior in International Studies and Political Science, with minors in Spanish and the Pioneer Leadership Program. Throughout his career at DU he has dedicated himself to improving the quality of the environment on campus, in the US, and in the world. He has been a tireless volunteer, working to get energy efficient lighting in the dormitories, free bus passes for students, and an expanded recycling program on campus. He spent one summer with Campus GreenVote in Chicago learning how to organize for environmental advocacy. Then he participated at two meetings of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, joining with Greenpeace to lobby American delegates regarding the need for US leadership on this vital issue. Commenting on an Interterm Course at the United Nations in New York, sponsored by the I2E2, Chris remarked, "I learned about the possibilities and drawbacks of the UN. In this time of global issues, no nation can go it alone. We need to support the UN as a facilitator."

His commitment to the environment is a lifelong passion, beginning with his outdoor experiences with the Boy Scouts and at Camp Winona (Maine). Frequent travel and family moves associated with his father's career with AT&T have given him a global perspective and a sense of responsibility for the global environment. Chris has been a staff writer for the Clarion, even reporting from Spain as a student at the Centro de Linguas Modernas at the Universidad de Granada. Chris will pursue a fifth year at DU to get his masters degree in International Studies.

Projects and Promotions

New Project: The Snake River Basin Sustainability Laboratory is up and running. Please visit our website to learn about its mission and opportunities for involvement.
http://www.snakeriversustainabilitylab.org

Job Opening: Washington State University - New and recent Ph.D.'s in environmental sociology and other specialties are encouraged to apply. Go to the Career Page