Policy Catalyst

RSVP requested Ethan Warner, research assistant in the Center for Science Technology and Public Policy, will be presenting the model and discussing the process of its creation. The model was produced collaboratively with Steve Taff, Associate professor in Applied Economics, Mahri Monson, recent graduate of the Humphrey Institute and environmental scientist at the EPA, and Michael Bean of Forio Business Simulations. This seminar will consist of a brief exploration of the model and its structure, a discussion of the process of constructing the model, and finally results from modeling various scenarios. In discussing the construction of the model a number of theoretical issues will be explored including the process of deciding on assumptions, bounding the issues one wants to explore, and establishing realistic feedback loops. Additional practical lessons learned from model collaboration will also be presented. Results from running a number of model scenarios will also be presented that should help answer some of the following questions: what can the model tell us about our assumptions about the transportation system and our views of how carbon policies will work in reality, the interaction between transportation sectors, and the effectiveness of policies alone or in concert? Please RSVP to Sophia Ginis at gini0003@umn.edu if you plan to attend. Thank you and we look forward to seeing both returning and new attendees. If you have any questions about either event Sophia can also be reached at 612-625-3032.

The goal of Innovation 2008 is to bring scientists together with policymakers and the public, to help move the United States toward policies that are better informed by scientific realities, and to help scientists, engineers and the scientific community as a whole become more engaged in the political process.