Center News

Science Advisor Book Due Out in 2009

Following up from the highly acclaimed lecture series “Policy, Politics, and Science in the White House: Conversations with Presidential Science Advisors” which featured the current and six former presidential science advisors, the Center’s Roger Pielke, Jr. and Bobbie Klein have edited a book titled "Presidential Science Advisors: Perspectives and Reflections on Science, Policy and Politics."  The book features chapters by each science advisor who participated in the series, along with chapters by congressional and science policy experts reflecting on the role of science and policy in the White House.  The book describes the practical realities of providing science advice in the White House, and includes some never-before revealed information.  The book will be published in 2009 by Springer Press.

More Honest Broker Reviews

Historian of science Ronald E. Doel has a strongly positive review of Roger Pielke, Jr.’s The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics in the current issue of Isis (subscription required), calling it an “original, thought-provoking book” and noting the “important contribution Pielke has made to the history of recent science.”

Roger Pielke, Jr. Grants

Roger Pielke, Jr. was recently awarded two grants by the National Science Foundation:

• “Investigating the Origins and Evolution of ‘Basic Research’ as a Political Symbol” will focus on the exact phrase “basic research” as a political symbol representing a concept that has otherwise been characterized as pure research, fundamental research, frontier research and transformative research, among other terms.
• “Reconciling Supply of and Demand for Research in the Science of Science and Innovation Policy” will fund a collaborative bilateral workshop between scholars in Norway and the United States to address the following question:  How can scholars who study science and innovation policy contribute more effectively to the needs of policy makers facing decisions about science and innovation policy?

Lisa Dilling Appointments

Lisa Dilling was recently appointed an editor of Weather, Climate and Society, a new interdisciplinary journal devoted to connecting science and society in the area of weather and climate.  She was also appointed as a new member of the President's Advisory Committee on University Relations for UCAR.

Rad Byerly Appointed to Co Air Quality Control Commission

Rad Byerly has been appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to serve a three year term on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. EPA has delegated to Colorado its legal authority under the Clean Air Act, so the AQCC is the rule-making body for the State. Through his vote on the commission Rad will be making decisions on regulations based in part on scientific information, and bringing this experience to the Center.

Center Faculty Affiliate Shares in 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

Paul Komor, Energy Education Director at the CU Energy Initiative and Faculty Affiliate of the Center, shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change". The IPCC consists of a large number of scientists and researchers – including Paul, who co-authored a chapter on “Mitigation Options for Human Settlements” in the IPCC’s Second Assessment Report.

Center for Science and Technology Policy Research Wins Buff Energy Star Award

The historic bungalow housing the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research on the CU-Boulder campus attained Buff Energy Star status during the 2007-08 fiscal year, with building employees reducing energy usage by at least 5 percent over the previous fiscal year.  Specific actions that resulted in savings included turning off lights when not in use, enabling power-management features on computers and other office equipment, relying more on daylight, reporting energy waste to the campus conservation hotline and building energy audits.  For more information click here.