Gov+Project-+policy+briefings

1. i. Greenhouse gas regulation. ii. increased dependence on foreign oil. iii. Alternative energy Funding iv. Chinese domination of alternative energy. v. Oil Depletion (http://www.care2.com/causes/global-warming/blog/top-5-energy-issues-to-watch-in-2011/) 2. Oil dependency (http://www.care2.com/causes/global-warming/blog/top-5-energy-issues-to-watch-in-2011/) 3. Lack of alternative energy, cheap foreign oil (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/oildep.shtml) 4. Saudi Arabia, India, and China (http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html) 5. All of US, least of all Alaska, Texas, California and North Dakota (http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_e2012bac-c3c8-11de-b354-001cc4c03286.html) 6. $1 billion a day, about $370 billion per year (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/oil_imports_security.html) 7. $700 billion to improve alternative energy funding, increase incentives for fuel efficiency, and increase drilling (rough estimate) 8. $40 billion a year (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_721156.html) 9. Alternative energy, off-shore drilling, incentives for fuel-efficency ([]) 10. Nancy Pelosi wanted to increase regulation on auto manufacturers on fuel efficiency. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0625/p03s02-uspo.html) 11. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said EPA was overstretching boundaries by working to increase alternative energy. John Dingell(D-MI) expressed new vehicle regulation could hurt Michigan auto industry. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0625/p03s02-uspo.html)
 * __Energy policy briefing__**

1. i. Climate change ii. Energy iii. Water iv. biodiversity and land use v. chemicals, toxics and heavy metals(https://5minuteswithmolly.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/top-10-environmental-issues/) 2. Climate change (https://5minuteswithmolly.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/top-10-environmental-issues/) 3. Burning of fossil fuels (through driving cars, heating homes, and producing goods) (http://www.climatechangeconnection.org/science/Climate_causes.htm) 4. Oil consumption: US, China, Japan. ([]). Industries: Auto, Heating(http://www.climatechangeconnection.org/science/Climate_causes.htm) 5. The entire world, but in mostly coastlands (http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/impacts02.jsp) 6. 1.9 trillion annually (http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/cost/contents.asp) 7. 1.9 trillion annually (http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/cost/contents.asp) 8. Ranging estimates… by 2100, ocean may have risen as much as 3 feet, causing severe damage to coastal areas and ecosystems. (http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/impacts02.jsp) 9. Decrease fossil fuel usage, invest in alternative energy (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-solutions.html) 10. Arnold Schwarzenegger- global warming solutions act of 2006. Greg Nickels(Mayor of Seattle)- U.S. Mayors climate protection agreement ([|www.grist.org/article/**politicians**/]) 11. Darrell Issa(R-CA)- stated he wished EPA regulations would be lifted. Dingell (D-MI)- expressed concern that fuel efficiency regulation would hurt business. ([]), ([])
 * __Environmental Policy briefing__**

**__Economic Policy Briefing__** 1 . Top Five Economic Issues - Foreign Oil Dependence - Setting the Right Green Agenda - Excercising Smart Power - Navigating China’s Rise - Engaging an Emerging India

2. Foreign Oil Dependence The main economic issue with dependence on foreign oil is that it is a finite resource, and with any finite resource, as supply dwindles, prices go up, and with oil becoming increasingly valuable, wars will be fought over oil. World War III seems likely to be fought over resources such as oil.

3. Cause The reason The United States is dependent on foreign oil is because other countries, particularly those in the middle east, are often home to large reserves of oil and The US wants it. Because every economically stable nation in the world right now needs oil just to function, there is competition for the oil and prices go up. When oil prices go up, the price of //everything// goes up, and that is proof that oil is the biggest economic influence.

4. Main Industries Affected As previously stated, virtually every industry is affected. This is because every form of transportation in the modern world is reliant on oil, and not much can take place without transportation.

5. Areas Impacted Every area that has a demand for oil

6. Demographic Impacted Virtually everyone, except for the very wealthy, are affected directly by the costs of transportation.

7. Estimated Economic Cost of Oil Dependency Americans spend about $1.5 billion dollars on oil each day

8. Estimated Cost to Fix the Problem Certainly, the solution to oil dependency is to research a form of renewable energy. While any sort of prediction for estimated cost of finding a successful form of renewable energy would be purely speculation as of now, it is fair to say that a good chunk of the federal budget should go towards such a project because it would certainly save a lot of money in the long run.

9. Estimated Cost if Not Fixed If the world runs out of oil before weening itself off of its dependency, war will break out, resulting in the loss of millions (or even worse, billions) of human lives.

10. Possible Solution Research a form of renewable energy

11. Political allies of solution Sir David Manning, British Ambassador To The United States Of America

"The scarcity of energy supplies and the energy imbalance between nations is a threat to our prosperity and national security. As resources contract, oil-hungry economies will compete for dwindling supplies of hydrocarbons. Competition for fossil fuels will increase.... Energy resources have long been a major strategic concern: access to secure sources, control over supply lines: these are issues of national security.... The energy challenge is now more pressing than ever.... Global oil production is apparently nearing its peak.... current estimates seem to be converging on some point between 2010 and 2020.... [there] are five factors which are changing the energy landscape: rising demand; dwindling supply; greater concentration of resource in the hands of a few; limited spare capacity; and the environmental impacts of energy use.....This is not a problem that can wait ten years."

12. Political adversaries of solution George W. Bush

We can't conserve our way to energy independence, nor can we conserve our way to having enough energy available. So we've got to do both. -George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, quoted in "Bush Launches Effort to Sell Energy Policy Overhaul,"The Washington Post, 4 May 2001 worked cited: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/oil_imports_security.html http://www.oildependency.org/ []

__**Foreign Policy Briefing**__ 1. The top five military threats to the United States are:

-Iran -North Korea -China -Pakistan -Russia

2. Nation

3. The United States has been in conflict with North Korea to varying degrees ever since the Korean War. Despite a ceasfire to the war being negotiated in 1953, a formal peace was never declared, and the two countries have shared a cold war-like relation for decades

4. Kim Jong Il is the current totalitarian ruler of North Korea

5. Kim Jong Il rules everything

6.  a. North Korea is traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo b. racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese c. Korean d. 32.9 years median age e. 0.95 male:female ratio

7.  a. 10.3 million people fit for military service b. Not reported c. Navy, surface to surface missiles, surface to air missiles, air force, and army. Because of North Korea’s inferiority to South Korea, it has long relied on unconventional warfare to obtain an upper hand against technologically superior enemies. Some examples of this: GPS jammers, stealth paint, and a vast variety of biological and chemical weapons. d. North Korea has recently threatened to bolster its nuclear arsenal though means of achieving this have been unspecified. It is believed that Pyongyang is to house enough weaponized plutonium to fuel half a dozen nuclear weapons.

8. The Pyongyang regime fired 50 heavy artillery shells on to an island off South Korea's northwest coast, killing two marines, injuring 17 and three civilians, and setting the homes of 60 civilians on fire. This recent conflict was the first of its kind in over sixty years, and resulted in retaliation being threatened and tensions rising between North and South Korea. North Korea threatened ‘total war’ if its borders are infringed up

9. Available natural resources: -iron -coal -gold -magnesite -lead -zinc

10. North Korea has a desire to harm the United States because of several disagreements. Most important, during the Korean war, the United States sided with South Korea, who was and still is the enemy of North Korea. Because we are the friend of North Korea’s enemy, that makes us, the United States, also an enemy of North Korea.


 * __Health Policy Briefing__**

http://www.livestrong.com/article/36536-top-health-problems-america/
 * 1) Top 5 U.S. Health Issues
 * 2) Heart Disease
 * 3) Cancer
 * 4) Stroke
 * 5) Respiratory Diseases
 * 6) Diabetes

Cancer

Cancer is the second highest cause of fatalities in the United States and affects many more people who do survive. Research is critical, but very expensive. http://www.livestrong.com/article/36536-top-health-problems-america/ a. Breast cancer- Northeast b. Prostate cancer- Northeast c. Lung cancer i. Men- South ii. Female- Midwest d. Colon i. Men- Midwest ii. Women- Northeast http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/ethnic.htm a. Regions above b. Obese people c. Genetically predisposed <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">d. Tanners <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">e. Smokers <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">f. Drinkers <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">g. Unhealthy eaters <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">h. Not physically active <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">i. Black and White people over other races <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; tab-stops: 67.0pt; tabstops: 67.0pt;">http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/ethnic.htm <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">a. NCI uses $4.8-5.2 billion a year on research and treatment development http://www.nanomedicinecenter.com/article/how-much-money-is-spent-on-cancer-research/ http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-and-figures-2010 http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/003405.html http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-and-figures-2010 http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/003405.html <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; tab-stops: 67.0pt; tabstops: 67.0pt;">http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/003405.html <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">a. Nixon Administration’s War on Cancer <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">b. U.S. National Institutes of Health- National Cancer Institute leading cancer research and $4.86 billion budget <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; tabstops: 67.0pt list 1.0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">a. Bush Administration proposed to cut biomedical research spending so that it lowers at the rate inflation increases http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/003405.html
 * 1) Main Problem (politically and economically)
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Region Impacted- All of U.S.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Demographic Impacted
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Estimated economic cost of current issue
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Estimated economic cost to reform/expand the way it is funded- would cost $500 trillion to find a cure
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Estimated cost if not cleaned up- $500 trillion (1% reduction in mortality worth $500 billion to economy). About $6 billion in research every year plus all family and insurance medical expenses on treatment. 7.6 million people die each year due to cancer globally and 562,875 in the U.S. with treatment, so this plus all of the cured patients. About 1.5 million new cases are discovered every year in the U.S., and all of these people would most likely die as a result of this if not treated.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Possible solution- Devote large percent of economy to finding a cure, which would permanently prevent cancer instances in the country, and little further research would be needed. 4 years of U.S. economic output is worth a cure.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Political allies of solution
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt; tabstops: list .5in left 67.0pt;">Political Adversaries of solution