Cornell University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

* New York State Clean Water policy
Cornell Extension and research faculty provided testimony for the Hearing on Clean Water conducted by the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation. This testimony also was made available on public websites.

* Federal climate briefings
Cornell Cooperative Extension contributed to a series of policy briefings for U.S. House and Senate members on sustainability themes, including natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, climate change and agriculture, cap-and-trade and other policy responses to climate change, and emerging carbon sequestration technologies, including geologic sequestration and biochar. Providing science-based information on sustainable agriculture and land use, climate change mitigation and adaptation, was the focus of the series. Development of the briefings was led by Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station on behalf of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (https://www.acsf.cornell.edu/).

* Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on hydrofracturing of gas-bearing shale formations
Cornell University faculty, including Extension faculty, submitted written input to New York State on the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on hydrofracturing of gas-bearing shale formations. The documents submitted were made available for the public on several websites, including the Cornell Cooperative Extension Natural Gas Development pages (http://cce.cornell.edu/EnergyClimateChange/NaturalGasDev/Pages/MarcellusShaletheEnvironment.aspx) and the NYS Water Resources Institute pages (http://wri.eas.cornell.edu/).

* Service on state and federal partner advisory bodies
Extension faculty represent Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, bringing research-based input to conservation practices and implementation from campus research and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators working with agricultural producers and related constituents and participating in review of applications for conservation funding.

Extension faculty from Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences serve on the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Services Technical Committee (New York State), providing input on national and state conservation practices and implementation.

Cornell Extension faculty served on the former New York State Task Force on Invasive Species and currently serve on its successor, the New York State Invasive Species Council, providing input for development of state-wide plans to monitor, prevent, and control invasive species threatening New York State resources. The Council is hosted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

County-based Cornell Cooperative Extension educators serve on local committees such as county water quality coordinating committees, emergency response teams, Farm Bureau boards, and environmental management councils, bringing research-based input and stakeholder concerns to decision making.

* Local energy policy: Influencing what local governments are doing
Energy issues particularly relevant to upstate New York include the broad issue of energy transitions which includes both energy conservation and renewable energy and the role of existing and emerging energy production scenarios. Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations are working with municipalities on the many variables including public and private decisions, the land use base, technology, costs, greenhouse gas emissions, workforce development, and transportation options. The possibility of natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale has led to a broader discussion of how we responsibly meet the energy needs of our communities.

* New York State Water Resources Institute
A federally and state mandated institution located at Cornell University, The New York State Water Resources Institute’s mission is to improve the management of water resources in New York State as well as the nation as a whole. WRI has access to all the scientific and technical resources available at Cornell. The Institute was established in at Cornell University in 1987 with the purpose of addressing critical problems of water resource quality and management. Today WRI collaborates with regional, state, and national partners to increase awareness of water resource issues, assess new water management technologies and develop new policies.

* The Atkinson Center Briefing Series
The Atkinson Center Washington Policy Briefing Series brings sound science and research to bear on the most pressing legislative issues of our time. These briefings, designed for media, legislative staff, agency staff and legislators, feature faculty experts who contribute information and analysis without political agenda to some of today’s most salient topics.

These briefings provide broad and responsible coverage of the scientific debates behind the political debates. The Center does not take positions but promotes open and honest evidence-based dialog. The Center is committed to presenting a range of science-based approaches so that the nation’s politicians, thought leaders and decision makers can make informed choices on public policy. http://www.acsf.cornell.edu/events/policy/

* Advocated for a multi-year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit, for the benefit of Black Oak wind farm. The credit lapsed at the end of 2014, and efforts are underway for a retroactive extension before the end of 2015.

* Advocated for sustained, predictable federal funding for scientific research across all disciplines that encompass “sustainability.” Opposed targeted cuts to climate-specific disciplines like geosciences; opposed legislation that would hamstring the EPA’s rulemaking process.

* Supported robust and continued funding for federal programs that promote and encourage energy efficiency.

Cornell Policies
Equipment Efficiency Standards Policy
Implement an efficiency standards policy for equipment purchases at Cornell.
Goal: Establish energy-efficient standards based upon Energy Star certification for new purchases and bids.
Establishing energy efficiency requirements for new purchases and bids can help to reduce the life-cycle cost of the product or equipment purchased. Energy-efficient products (such as ENERGY STAR-rated products) reduce energy consumption by 10-75% and result in operational cost savings of 5-75% percent on a continual basis, depending on the product replaced.
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/initiatives/equipment-efficiency-standards-policy

Building Energy Standards Policy
Achieving a goal of 50% lower energy use... Adopt a university-wide policy that all new construction projects and renovations valued over 5M should achieve a minimum 50% energy savings compared to the baseline established by ASHRAE 90.1.
Goal: The 2009 Climate Action Plan (CAP) prescribed Energy Use Intensity (EUI) standards by building type to ensure that future construction on campus would be optimized to limit energy consumption. Cornell’s current EUI standards reduce laboratory and office energy use by 30% over the energycode- compliant baseline (ASHRAE 90.1). The 2009 CAP recommended that, in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the university should ultimately require new buildings on campus to limit energy usage to 50% of the industry standard baseline. Achieving a goal of 50% lower energy use effectively reduces the rate of growth in GHG emissions by half.
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/initiatives/building-energy-standards-policy

Carbon Neutral Travel Policy
Encouraging reduced business travel and purchase of offsets when travel is unavoidable...
Establish a university-wide Carbon Neutral Travel Policy that fosters zero-footprint travel through purchase of carbon offsets.
Goal: University-funded air travel and individual commuting emitted roughly 59,000 tons of carbon into the atmosphere in 2012, a nearly 10% increase since the Climate Action Plan was initiated and the only emission category that did not improve. Cornell’s commitment to climate neutrality cannot be achieved without some offsetting actions to mitigate these travel related emissions. Putting a price on GHG emissions via carbon offsets is an effective strategy to raise awareness about travel-related emissions and presents an excellent opportunity to invest in high impact local sustainability initiatives.
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/initiatives/carbon-neutral-travel-policy

Grants Further Environmental Policy Research
2 USDA grants further research of Cornell professors Harry de Gorter and Mildred Warner on the effects of environmental policy on biofuels and development...
Biofuels tick many boxes off policymaker wish lists: energy security, environmental quality, improved farm incomes. But as ethanol has shown, they can also have unintended consequences on domestic and international economies by increasing demand – and prices – of former food crops such as corn.
A $499,998 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture – one of two awarded to Cornell as part of a $12 million program – will allow researchers to delve deeper into the intricate interactions between crops and biofuel policies at home and abroad, and their implications for the international competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/blogs/news/posts/grants-further-environmental-policy-research

Cornell Promotes Workplace Flexibility with Revised Policy
The University announced Policy changes which will increase flexibility and dialogue between employees and supervisors in the workplace...
The University announced changes to Policy 6.6.13 Thursday, which will increase flexibility and dialogue between employees and supervisors in the workplace.
The changes will revise current policy on alternative arrival and departure times, compressed schedules, timekeeping, job share arrangements, overtime and remote work, according to the University.
With more flexible working arrangements enabled by the policy changes, the University aims to “enable staff and management to serve customers well” as well as allow employees to balance their personal and professional obligations.
http://www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/blogs/news/posts/cornell-promotes-workplace-flexibility-with-revised-policy

Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy
http://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/cpip/people.cfm
http://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/cpip/infrastructure.cfm

Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Major
This interdisciplinary and integrated major seeks to advance students’ critical abilities to solve real-world environmental problems, manage social-ecological systems in a sustainable manner, and affect decisions involving environmental policy, resource management, and biodiversity conservation. The curriculum comprises an intensive foundation in the biological sciences, physical-chemical sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, as well as the integration of these areas of study.
http://admissions.cals.cornell.edu/academics/majors/environmental-science-and-sustainability

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