Study Group Details
1120: Climate Change: US Actions to Dramatically Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Monday1:45 - 3:15
Starting June 03
In-Person
America is on a path to radically cut greenhouse gas emissions—especially in the energy systems that are central to our economy and our way of life. The class will try to survey the American landscape to capture the progress underway in the economy, in government policy, and among civil society institutions. There is more progress than many commentators assume, but this progress must be accelerated to meet mid-century goals. The class will focus, in part, on recently adopted federal policies and major on-going policy disputes, as well as the growing influence of "civil society." The class will be pitched to a broad audience—from those with limited knowledge to those who have been professionally engaged.
This study group is new
Class Type: Lecture and Discussion
Class Format: In-Person
Hours of Reading: No required reading
Study Group Leader(s):
Philip Sharp
As a Congressman (1975-1995), Phil Sharp worked extensively on energy and environmental legislation. Upon retirement, he became a lecturer in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government for seven years and was director of the Institute of Politics part of that time. Then for a decade, he was President of Resources for the Future. He also served on several boards of directors including the Energy Foundation, the Electric Power Institute, and Duke Energy. He served on the National Academies study, "America's Climate Choices" and on the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of Nuclear Energy. He was awarded the Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security. Phil taught a graduate level course, "Making climate Policy in the US," at Columbia University (2016) and Georgetown University (2017). Currently he is a member of advisory boards for the MIT Energy Initiative and for Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy. He serves on the boards of directors for climate advocacy NGO's: EcoAmerica, The Energy and Environmental Study Institute, and the Energy Action Fund. At Georgetown, he earned a BS in Foreign Service and a PhD in Government.