Drew Shindell, Nicholas Professor of Earth Sciences – Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment |

Seminar Title – Weighing Environmental Impacts in Decision Making |

Abstract – Policy makers are well aware that their decisions regarding activities such as energy, transportation and agriculture may have substantial environmental consequences, and in fact environmental impacts are sometimes a driving factor in policies. Yet it is not clear how policy makers can or should compare different types of environmental impacts, impacts that occur over widely differing spatial or temporal scales, or impacts that depend upon the actions of others. I will discuss ongoing efforts to develop methods to evaluate the impacts of various policies on multiple dimensions, including near-term and long-term climate change, air quality, crop yields and human health. Specific examples will include efforts to promote clean energy, clean vehicles, and reduced methane emissions. I will highlight how local, near-term health benefits compare with long-term, global climate benefits, and how these types of multi-dimensional environmental impact assessments affect cost-benefit analyses.