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January 2007, Volume 3, Number 1

Jonathan Lash on CSpan


December 19 - WRI President Jonathan Lash, WRI Climate Director Dr. Jonathan Pershing, and WRI Vice President of Research Dr. David Jhirad previewed environmental issues to watch in 2007 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Among other environmental issues, they discussed what role the new Congress will play in climate change, how alternative fuels such as ethanol will play out in 2007, and what developments and innovations will be significant internationally.
more >> audio of briefing >>
(source)

EarthTrends: Roads and vehicles


January 4 - EarthTrends' monthly update focuses on the environmental and economic consequences of increased transportation in developing countries, and suggests policies that can increase the sustainability of urban transport.
more >>


December 14 - WRI's Access Initiative (TAI) Toolkit, a web-based program which helps civil society groups to measure how well governments are performing on access to information, public participation, and justice in decision-making for the environment, has been translated into Russian. The translation will facilitate the evaluation of access to information in former Soviet republics by allowing organizations to do TAI assessments in an official or common language. The TAI Toolkit is now available in English, Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese and TAI partners are working on French, Indonesian and Chinese versions. more >>

Jake Werksman


January 9 - WRI's Institutions and Governance Program is now led by Jake Werksman, former Environmental Institutions and Governance Advisor to the United Nations Development Programme. Prior to his arrival at WRI, Mr. Werksman was Senior Advisor to the Global Inclusion Program of the Rockefeller Foundation, where he supported grantmaking decisions in the area of international intellectual property rights policy and international trade policy.
more >>

BBC on the US stance on global warming

BBC on climate news in 2006

CNN on businesses and the environment

National Geographic on Amazon forests*

New York Times on reducing emissions from travel

New York Times on bullet trains in Taiwan*

Washington Post on emissions regulation

Los Angeles Times on nutrient runoff

Christian Science Monitor on climate change in Africa

Earth & Sky on ethanol production

GreenBiz on sustainable MBAs

Reliable Plant on GM's use of renewable energy

Telugu Portal (India) on sustainable transport

*subscription may be required to access


The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment's latest publication, Bridging Scales and Knowledge Systems: Concepts and Applications in Ecosystem Assessment focuses on the need to integrate indigenous and scientific knowledge for successful international development. Bridging Scales suggests that, for local communities, the "local problem" definition is more important than the "scientific problem" definition in natural-resource assessments. WRI was one of the primary convenors of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. more >>

January 21-26, Washington, DC, USA: Transforming Transportation

February 15 -19, San Francisco, CA, USA: AAAS Annual Meeting

February 16-17, College Park, MD, USA: Business, Engineering & Sustainability: Building Innovative Programs


December 14 - The 3rd Annual New Ventures Investor Forum in Brazil, hosted by WRI's New Ventures project, gave special awards and recognition to four companies with outstanding sustainable business models. The companies recognized:

  • Eletrocell develops hydrogen energy systems that it hopes will instigate the next energy revolution in Brazil.
  • Florestas Cosmetics makes beauty products from Brazil’s rich biodiversity. Each product is certified organic and sustainably harvested. Whole Foods Market and Carrefour are among Florestas' major customers.
  • Hering Instruments uses wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to make high-quality, sustainably crafted musical instruments, such guitars, drums, and harmonicas.
  • Ouro Verde's product line includes high-quality food products like cooking oils and jellies. The company is helping to shift local agricultural practices in the Amazon away from extraction towards sustainable harvesting to preserve its rich biodiversity.

New Ventures Forums help entrepreneurs receive business plan mentoring, management training, and access to global investors.
more >>


December 28 - WRI and Goldman Sachs have partnered on an innovative approach for stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions. Based on research of Princeton professors Rob Socolow and Stephen Pacala, the wedge approach theorizes that in in order to stabilize worldwide emissions in next 50 years, the world must reduce emissions by about 7 gigatons of carbon (not carbon dioxide). Socolow and Pacala identified 15 stabilization wedges that could concievably reduce emissions by 1 gigaton each. WRI and Goldman Sachs will analyze the best ways to accelerate the global adoption of technologies in the wedge model through government policies, corporate action, and financial investment.
more >>

Electricity Governance Website


December 15 - The Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI), a collaborative undertaking of WRI and Prayas Energy Group (India), has developed a new website. The site features news related toelectricity governance, publications, and downloadable EGI reports from India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines that address policy and regulatory processes.
more >>



January 5 - Episode 3 of the EarthTrends Podcast, a collaboration between WRI, StopGlobalWarming.org, and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, is now available. Episode 3 features interviews with WRI's Rob Bradley and artist Rick Lowenberg about the COP-12 meeting in Nairobi and the implications of global warming for Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a musical performance by I Nine.
more >>


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