Volume 3, Number 2 (2009)
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Item Evaluation of Senate Bill 80 in the State of Colorado(2009-04) Andino, Elaine; Arguijo, Grace; O'Connor, Kathleen; Stinner, John P. JrThis policy analysis, based on a fictitious but plausible request from the Governor of Colorado, evaluates proposed legislation strongly to encourage high school girls to be vaccinated for Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the nation’s most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). After careful analysis of the proposal and alternatives to it, these authors come to the counter-intuitive conclusion that the governor should veto this legislation, if approved by the legislature. This paper is a model of solid policy analysis that arrives at a surprising but well-supported recommendation. -- Introduction by Dr. Catherine E. Rudder.Item Ground Control to EPA: The Regulation of Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions under the Clean Air Act(2009-04) Woods, Clinton J.Due to a variety of recent legal and political developments, aviation interests face the potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft, aircraft engines, and aviation operations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 231 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). This significant turn of events could radically alter the regulatory, environmental, economic, and safety landscape confronting the airline and aerospace industries at the federal level. This paper will assess the driving forces prompting this outcome, including: a more environmentally activist Obama presidency (and the corresponding character of the EPA); the Supreme Court’s 2007 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA; Congressional pressure for a climate change solution; petitions from both state governments and nonprofit organizations to the EPA over aviation emissions; and the EPA’s recently released blueprint for economy-wide greenhouse regulation under the Clean Air Act.Item Green Energy for Information Technology Data Centers: An Analysis of Energy Procurement Options for the Federal Government(2009-04) Kavitz, Paul; Moore, Kevin; Morgan, Adam; Nottberg, TravixThis report compares alternatives to current data center service procurement trends based on: (1) total emissions, (2) relative cost, (3) performance, and (4) feasibility. Overall, the research herein suggests that, due to the complexity and variety of data center technology needs, a transformative green policy option is not currently available for data center services. However, it is recommended that the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) mandate energy measurement standards and encourage agency procurement officers to incorporate the Energy Star® Program guidance into future data center procurementsItem The Narco-Curse in West Africa(2009-04) Bybee, Ashley-LouiseThis paper will attempt to illustrate the former – that the massive influx of cash from narco-traffickers has impacted Guinea-Bissau in most every way predicted by the Resource Curse theory, including the nexus with conflict, as evidenced by the recent assassinations. Furthermore, the implications for local, regional, and global security posed by narco-trafficking represent a significant point of leverage where the US should focus more resources and begin to develop a strategy.Item Introduction from the Editorial Board(2009-04) Steinhelfer, Matthew D.