Luskin School of Public Affairs
SPRING 2014
V
Digital Technology 02
Anniversary Edition
Complete Streets & Climate Change 06
Electric Vehicles & Alternative Fuels 10 Nanotechnology 16
Sustainable Energy 20 Water Systems 24
FROM THE DIRECTOR GREETINGS, We are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. While our impact has grown over the years, our mission has remained true to the vision of our founders Meyer and Renee Luskin. We unite UCLA scholars with civic leaders to address pressing issues confronting our community, nation and world. Over these five years we have developed on-going relationships with many civic partners including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Business Council, the California Endowment, the California and U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies as well as the California Governor. In these pages we chronicle the evolution of these research partnerships as they spur innovation in sustainable energy, climate action, green infrastructure and more. We are proud that the White House highlighted our “Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report (LASER)” as a national best practice of using data to inform climate action planning. This project created a mapping tool to help communities identify opportunities to invest in projects that will save households money, create clean energy jobs and strengthen climate resilience. We are also excited about our new Digital Technologies Initiative led by Dr. John Villasenor. In its first full year, the initiative’s events and research involved collaborations with Google, Microsoft, the Recording Industry of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and others. We invite you to share your ideas and to work with us as we all try to improve our world. Warm regards,
J.R. DeShazo Colleen Callahan Director Deputy Director
75
Civic Partners Collaborated with more than 75 civic partners on policyinforming research and events.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH
$2 Million
THE LUSKIN CENTER’S
IMPACT
Helped secure over two million dollars in grant and contract funding to conduct research in seven robust initiative areas.
STUDENT SUPPORT
125
Students
Provided direct support to 125 UCLA students while enhancing the educational experiences of hundreds more.
CONTENTS Digital Technology 02
Complete Streets & Climate Change 06 Electric Vehicles & Alternative Fuels 10 Nanotechnology 16 Sustainable Energy 20 Water Systems 24 Etcetera 27
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY Informing public policy for innovation in the Digital Age.
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JOHN VILLASENOR AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY, POLICY AND LAW John Villasenor directs the Luskin Center’s new Digital Technologies Initiative. A professor of both electrical engineering and public policy at UCLA, he works at the intersection of technology, policy and law. Dr. Villasenor’s recent research considers the impacts of key technology trends including the move to the Cloud, advances in digital communications and the increasing complexity of today’s networks
and systems. Dr. Villasenor writes frequently on these topics and on their implications with respect to cybersecurity, digital media policy, intellectual property and digital privacy. For example, he is often quoted in, and writes for, the mainstream media such as Forbes, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, Slate and The Washington Post. Dr. Villasenor also frequently advises policymakers including by testifying at U.S. Congressional hearings.
ADVANCING YOUTH INTERNET SAFETY As children’s access to the Internet expands, so do concerns about their online safety. Providing a safe environment for children requires an indepth understanding of the types and prevalence of online risks children are exposed to, and the solutions most effective in mitigating these risks. To this end, researchers at the Luskin Center compiled a database of dozens of articles relevant to child Internet safety, and are embarking on other efforts to identify best practices in colloboration with Google.
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT Highlights from John Villasenor’s work this year have included the following examples of Congressional testimony, policy papers and publicly accessible news articles: •
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, on preventing technology-facilitated exploitation of children.
•
Testifimony before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, on the topic of copyright law as it relates to resales of digital content.
•
The report “Products Liability and Driverless Cars: Issues and Guiding Principles for Legislation,” published by the Brookings Institute.
•
The report “Smartphones for the Unbanked: How Mobile Money will Drive Digital Inclusion in Developing Countries.”
•
Article in Forbes on ‘“Fee-Shifting and Patent Reform: A Double-Edged Sword For Startup Companies.”
•
Article in The Atlantic on “What You Need to Know about the Third-Party Doctrine” and what it will likely mean as the National Security Administration lawsuits work their way through the courts.
Adina Farrukh, student researcher, Luskin Center
Up to
30%
of Internet users are victims of cyber bullying
Rebecca Sadwick, student researcher, Luskin Center INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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PUBLIC POLICY FOR INNOVA Luskin Center panel series connects industry leaders, technolo
technology opportunities, challen
Left to Right: Alex Pham, Billboard Magazine; David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP; Jeff Price, Audiam; John Villasenor, UCLA; Steve Rennie, REN Management; Chris Harrison, Pandora
The Future of Digital Music Delivery
Left to Right: John Villasenor, UCLA; Steven Metalitz, Mitchell Silbererg & Knupp LLP; Lee Knife, Digital Media Association (DiMA); Angela Riggio, UCLA Library; Corynne McSherry, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
The Demise of Ownership
Left to Right: Richard Wolpert, Amplify.la; Jule Sigall, Microsoft; Dean Marks, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; Katherine Oyama, Google; Betsy Rosenblatt, Whittier Law School
Digital Media in the Age of the Cloud 4
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• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
ATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE ogy innovators, policymakers and journalists to explore digital
nges and potential policy solutions.
Left to Right: John Villasenor, UCLA; Dean Schaffer, Allvoices; Torie Bosch, Slate/ New America Foundation; Russ Stanton, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC); James Rainey, Los Angeles Times
Crowdsourcing, Paywalls and the Future of News
Left to Right: John Villasenor, UCLA; Sarah Holland, Google; Lori Harnick, Microsoft; Jane Margolis, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies; Todd Ullah, Los Angeles Unified School District
Creating a Digitally Fluent Workforce
Left to Right: John Villasenor, UCLA; Ernie Allen, International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children; Amanda Hess, Slate; Adrian Chandley, Microsoft; Cody Monk, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Preventing Technology-Facilitated Exploitation INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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CLIMATE CHANGE & COMPLETE STREETS Strengthening local governments’ capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and paving the way for resilient, healthy and sustainable communities.
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WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS LUSKIN CENTER REPORT AS ADVANCING THE PRESIDENT’S CLIMATE DATA INITIATIVE Los Angeles County is currently leaving around 98 percent of its solar capacity untapped. Achieving just 10 percent of its rooftop solar potential could create 47,000 jobs and slash nearly 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to a report by the Luskin Center that was supported by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and highlighted in a White House announcement. The “Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report” (LASER) is a data-driven mapping tool designed to help communities identify opportunities to invest in projects that will save households money, create clean energy jobs and strengthen climate resiliency in vulnerable communities. Parcel-level analysis gives planners and property owners information about buildings and other spaces across L.A. County ripe for solar panel installation and energy efficiency measures. LASER also illustrates projected temperature increases, current environmental health risks and climate change vulnerability throughout the region. LASER then focuses on the 38 percent of L.A. County residents (3.7 million people) living in vulnerable communities (indicated in red in the preceding map) burdened by air pollution and other risk factors, as identified by the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen). Based on analysis of CalEnviroScreen data, the report highlights that fully 50 percent of the state’s most vulnerable population lives in L.A. County. The State of California is expected to use the CalEnviroScreen to identify disadvantaged communities for the purpose of prioritizing funding from the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The LASER project is a response to President Obama’s Climate Data Initiative, a call to action to leverage public data in order to stimulate innovation and collaboration in support of national climate change preparedness. Alarming scientific findings from the National Climate Assessment show that climate change is already impacting all parts of the U.S.
If L.A. County installed just
10%
of its total rooftop capacity it could:
Reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to taking about
500,000 cars off the road
Create about
47,000
local jobs
Jorge Madrid, senior partnerships coordinator, Environmental Defense Fund
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1
ADVISING POLICYMAKERS ON INVESTMENTS FROM THE GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND 2
3
4
California’s budget marks an historic investment in climate action. The budget, signed by Governor Brown in June of 2014, allocates $872 million in carbon capand-trade auction revenues to investment categories, like sustainable transportation and clean energy. In subsequent years, the cap-and-trade program is expected to generate billions of dollars to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Senate Bill 535 (SB 535, de León) requires a minimum set aside for projects that provide benefits to disadvantaged communities in California. Yet many policy implementation details have yet to be determined. To guide strategic investment decisions related to SB 535, the Luskin Center convened 150 experts and leaders from across California. The outcome of this event was a report proposing a systematic approach for implementing the investments. “Investment Justice Through the Greenhouse Reduction Fund: Implementing SB 535 and Advancing Climate Action in Disadvantaged Communities” contains recommendations for establishing a performance management approach to assess program and project investment options and track their results. The Luskin Center is now advising the California Environmental Protection Agency on this approach. Images from the workshop “Investment Justice Through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund,” supported by The California Endowment: 1. California Senator Ricardo Lara 2. Cliff Rechtschaffen, senior advisor to Governor Brown; and J.R. DeShazo, director, Luskin Center 3. Hector De La Torre, board member, California Air Resources Board 4. Colleen Callahan, deputy director, Luskin Center; and others
PARKLET TOOLKIT WINS NATIONAL AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION AWARD The American Planning Association (APA) gave the National Planning Achievement Award for Best Practice to UCLA’s “Reclaiming the Right-of-Way.” This toolkit provides inspiration and practical tips for creating “parklets”—small parks in urban areas from the conversion of parking spots and other underutilized spaces for cars into places for people. The award is the latest in a string of honors for the toolkit, authored by Anastasia Loukaitou-
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Sideris, Madeline Brozen and Colleen Callahan of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Local and regional APA chapters had previously recognized the project. “Reclaiming the Right-of-Way” is part of an effort, made possible by a grant from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, which also included installation of two parklets in Los Angeles, and evaluation of those parklets’ role in their neighborhoods.
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, associate dean, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
IDENTIFYING URBAN DESIGN AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT REDUCE AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE Climate policies that encourage greater density along transportation corridors may have the unintended consequence of greater exposure to roadway air pollutants for people who live in those areas. In a study funded by the California Air Resources Board, UCLA and UC Riverside researchers are monitoring air pollution levels in such environments with varying traffic, meteorological and built environment conditions. Future data analysis will inform transportation planners how to design transit-oriented development to mitigate air pollution exposure.
Members of the research team with project manager Lisa Wu (left)
CICLAVIA BRINGS BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES Businesses along the CicLAvia route in June 2013 experienced a 10 percent bump in sales on the day of the event, found a study from the Luskin School. The increase was greater among those businesses that engaged with CicLAvia participants, such as with a vending table or music. These “active participant” businesses saw their sales increase an average of 57 percent. The study gives business owners, residents and CicLAvia participants tips on how to make the most of the unique interactions that happen during the event. CicLAvia is a free-public event
that brings thousands of participants to select streets on certain Sundays, creating a car-free, park-like environment for Angelenos and visitors to enjoy. Approximately 150,000 people on foot, bikes and skates experienced iconic Wilshire Boulevard as part of the CicLAvia event on June 23, 2013.
Sunday earlier that month. Primary funding from the study came from the UCLA Center for Civil Society and was conducted in partnership with CicLAvia Inc. and the Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative.
Researchers from the UCLA Luskin School’s Complete Streets Initiative surveyed a representative sample of brick-and-mortar businesses along the route, comparing sales revenue and foot traffic on CicLAvia Sunday and a
Madeline Brozen, program manager, Complete Streets Initiative, UCLA Luskin School
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES & ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Supporting the transition to electric-drive and alternative fuel vehicles.
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PEV MARKET ANALYSIS: THE FIRST THREE YEARS
THE GROWING PEV MARKET
11,000
200,000
10,000
Monthly U.S. Sales
A new era of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is well underway. After three years on the market, roughly 220,000 light-duty PEVs have been sold in the U.S. Sixteen major models are currently on the market. Plug-in hybrids at this point tend to be reasonably-sized sedans and typically are priced in the low-tomid $30,000 range.
250,000
Monthly U.S. Sales U.S. Cumulative Sales CA Cumulative (est)
12,000
9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000
National Sales: Cumulative 2014: 54,791 Cumulative 2011-2014: 223, 110 June: 11, 493
150,000
California Sales: Cumulative 2001-2014: 92, 866
100,000
Cumulative Sales
13,000
4,000 3,000
50,000
2,000 1,000 0 Jun-14
Apr-14
Feb-14
Oct-13
Dec-13
Aug-13
Apr-13 Jun-13
Feb-13
Oct-12
Dec-12
Aug-12
Apr-12 Jun-12
Feb-12
Oct-11 Dec-11
Jun-11 Aug-11
Feb-11 Apr-11
Dec-10
0
PLANNING FOR FUTURE PEV POLICY DEVELOPMENT As part of a legislative briefing in Sacramento hosted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Luskin Center provided insights about EV market dynamics that will shape future California policy. Brett Williams of the Luskin Center presented the prices of 15 PEV models arranged in order of their “net of subsidies price”—the manufacturer’s suggested retail
price (MSRP) minus the federal tax credit (in green, in below graph) and the California rebate (in red). Three vehicles cost less than $20,000 on this basis, seven between $20,000 and $30,000, two between $30,000 and $40,000, and three over $60,000. Federal and state incentives cover between six to 40 percent of MSRP.
PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE PRICES (BASE MSRP) AND INCENTIVES (Feb. 2014, in order of increasing discounted price)
$100,000 6%
$90,000
incentive/MSRP (%)
$80,000
U.S. tax credit
$70,000 $60,000
12% 14%
CA CVRP Discounted price
20% 13%
$50,000 $40,000
40% 37%
35%
28% 26% 31%
27% 13%
17% 16%
$30,000 $20,000 $10,000
Brett Williams, program director, Electric Vehicles & Alternative Fuels Initiative, Luskin Center
sm
ar
te
le c Ch tric ev Co y S up pa e rk 1L T L 50 EA 0 F E S Fo let cu tri s E ca le Ch ctr ev ic Pr y V o iu s P lt lu gIn CFit M E Fu ax V sio En er n E g Ac ne i co rgi rd SE Pl ug M RA in od V el 4 E S6 V 0 Pa na Cad kW h m er illa aS cE L EHy R br id
$
INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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LEADING PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE PLANNING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ITS SUB-REGIONS The Luskin Center has provided the major analytics required to understand and plan for PEV demand as well as driving and charging behavior in the six-county southern California region. This year the Luskin Center produced the “South Bay Cities PEV Deployment Plan” and the “Western Riverside PEV Deployment Plan” as sub-components to the “Southern California PEV Readiness Plan and Atlas” (DeShazo et al, 2012). Commissioned by the Southern California Association of Governments in conjunction with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the South Bay Cities and Western Riverside councils of governments, the documents present guidelines for prioritizing PEV planning efforts as well as maps of PEV registrations and travel patterns at the sub-regional level to guide local decision making.
Jacki Bacharach, executive director, South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Rick Bishop, executive director, Western Riverside Council of Governments
DEVELOPING OUR WORKFORCE FOR ELECTRIFIED TRANSPORTATION How should California develop its workforce and educational curriculum to support the growing market for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and smart Edward grids? This was the question addressed by the “TransKjaer, portation Electrification Curriculum Development” director, report and workshop, led by the Luskin Center with Electric Transportation funding from Edison International and Southern CaliDepartment, SCE fornia Edison (SCE).
Robert Graham, manager, Plug-in Vehicle Readiness Program, SCE
OVERCOMING ECONOMIC BARRIERS TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING AT WORKPLACES AND APARTMENTS Overnight charging at home is expected to be the most cost-effective and prevalent way to refuel PEVs, especially for those living in single-family residences. The picture is more complex, however, for residents of multi-unit dwellings (MUDs). The Luskin Center is a leader in analyzing MUD charging, including characterizing regional housing and parking stock, calculating infrastructure cost recovery and PEV fueling costs, and recommending public policies to facilitate charging in MUDs.
J.R. DeShazo, director, Luskin Center
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The economics of workplace charging also involve many questions important to address in order to advance zero-emission transportation. To this end, Brett Williams and J.R. DeShazo of the Luskin Center co-authored “Pricing Workplace Charging: Financial Viability and Fueling Costs.” This paper will be included in an upcoming Transportation Research Board publication.
• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
DESIGNING EQUITY AND EFFICIENCY INTO PEV REBATES A challenge that California faces is designing a policy to be both equitable and efficient when compelling customers, who are looking for a car, to choose a plug-in electric vehicle. With funding from the California Air Resources Board, the Luskin Center has explored proposed designs for PEV rebates that include both means-tested eligibility and price caps to improve on the effectiveness of the existing rebate policy. This research, led by Dr. DeShazo of the Luskin Center and Tamara Sheldon of UC San Diego, shows how California rebate dollars could result in increased PEV sales by redressing the currently less equitable policy.
Tamara Sheldon, doctoral student researcher, UC San Diego
Cumulative California PEV Registrations Through May 2014
Chairman Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board
15,000 10,000 5,000 0
Number of PEVs
20,000
CUMULATIVE CALIFORNIA PEV REGISTRATIONS THROUGH MAY 2014
Chevy Volt
Nissan Leaf
Toyota Prius
Tesla Model S
Ford Fusion
Fiat 500
Other PHEV
Other BEV
PEV Make and Model
CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION FUNDS CONSORTIUM ADVANCING ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND VEHICLES The California Energy Commission has funded a consortium, led by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and including the Luskin Center, to establish a Southern California Center for Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technology. This center will serve the counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The objective is to make the region a sustained hub for the development, design and production of lower-emission technologies, thus creating jobs and tax revenues that will result from a thriving advanced transportation cluster.
JoAnne GoldenStewart, director of public policy, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Bill Allen, president & CEO, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
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ADVANCING EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE GOVERNOR’S SUMMIT ON ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES
SCAQMD LEADS DEVELOPMENT OF FAST CHARGING
The California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research has developed guidelines for how cities and counties can reduce permitting, zoning, parking and other barriers to the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. The Luskin Center assisted by sharing lessons learned from its award-winning “Southern California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan,” and Dr. DeShazo led planning workshops for the effort.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is leading an effort to ensure southern California has adequate fast charging stations supporting freeway travel across the region. In support of their efforts, the Luskin Center is using its PEV travel demand models to identify promising locations for these stations.
Left to Right: Governor Jerry Brown; J.R. DeShazo, director, Luskin Center
SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES The California Air Resources Board has formed an Office of Infrastructure in the effort to tackle the challenge of installing and financing PEV infrastructure. In support, the Luskin Center shared insights with this office from our financial analysis of various infrastructure market scenarios. Leslie Goodbody, Sustainable Transportation Technology Branch Emissions Compliance, Automobile Regulations & Science Division, California Air Resources Board
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Matt Miyosato, assistant deputy executive officer, SCAQMD
Pyramid of PEV Charging Priorities LOCATION
CHARGE TIME
Interstate Travel
PRICE
LEVEL
DRIVER
$$$$
Fast Charging
Waiting
Travel
Entertainment/ Shopping/ Recreation
Public
$$$
L2/3
Parked
Work/Transit Parking/Airport
Workplace
$$
L1
Parked
At Home
Residential
$
L1
Sleeping Parked
Source: Adapted from (Stanek 2011)
BURBANK INNOVATES WITH CURBSIDE CHARGING Burbank has received a California Energy Commission grant to explore the benefits of curb-side charging for multi-unit dwellers and shoppers. The Luskin Center is using its PEV travel demand models to identify promising locations for these curb-side stations.
Ronald E. Davis, general manager, Burbank Water and Power
CITY OF ARCADIA MOVES TOWARD A CLEANER FLEET
Left to Right: Gabriela Cardozo, Debbie Iamranond, Vicky Hsu, Janet Cuanas
The Luskin Center provided a grant to a team of public policy graduate students (photo to the left) supporting the City of Arcadia’s move toward cleaner transportation. The researchers analyzed the feasibility of transitioning the city’s non-safety vehicle fleet from conventional vehicles to alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). Their report makes recommendations for incorporating AFV technologies and policies into its general plan. The project’s results and approach to evaluating AFV options could also help inform other cities.
METRO EXPLORES PERSONAL RAPID TRANSPORTATION With the 405 Freeway one of the most congested in the country, Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Koretz looked to UCLA to help analyze innovative approaches to ease this congestion. The Luskin Center provided a grant to a team of Public Policy students tasked by the Councilmember to assess personal and group rapid transit system options. Imagine small pod cars operating on exclusive right-of-way guideways. While not without real challenges, case studies from across the globe offer some hope that innovative strategies such as these could perhaps be possible for L.A.’s future.
Left to Right: Dustin Foster, Nika Ghiyasi, Jae Lee, Anthony Ojelabi
LUSKIN CENTER JOINS THE CALIFORNIA PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE COLLABORATIVE After several years of productive engagement between California Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Collaborative leadership and J.R. DeShazo and Brett Williams, the Luskin Center submitted a formal application for membership to the organization. The application was accepted earlier this year, placing the Center at the table with a dynamic group of leading PEV stakeholders, including elected and appointed officials, automakers, utilities, infrastructure providers, environmental organizations, research institutions and others.
Commissioner Carla Peterman, California Public Utilities Commission; and chairman, CA PEV Collaborative
5 counties
(Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Alameda, Santa Clara) have:
70%
of California PEV registrations
only
50%
Christine Kehoe, executive director, CA PEV Collaborative
of California’s households INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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NANOTECHNOLOGY Progressing health and environmental safety assessment.
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UC CEIN AWARDED $24 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NANOMATERIAL SAFETY TESTING As nanotechnologies transform industries as diverse as medicine to consumer products, how can their safety be assured? To address this question, the UC Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN) was established in 2008 and is a world-class research facility that focuses on the responsible use and safe implementation of nanotechnology. This academic year the National Science Foundation, in conjunction with the U.S. EPA, awarded $24 million to support UC CEIN’s commitment to nanomaterial safety testing. The new cooperative funding agreement brings the NSF and EPA’s total commitment to UC CEIN’s research and outreach agenda to $48 million over 10 years.
André Nel, director, UC CEIN
Arturo Keller, associate director, UC CEIN
FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON USE OF ALTERNATIVE TEST STRATEGIES FOR NANOMATERIAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT Traditional toxicity testing relies on whole animal testing, which can be expensive and lengthy. Alternative strategies—among them rapid cellular screening and computer modeling—could be part of a new approach to effectively and efficiently assess the safety of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), as well as traditional chemicals. The journal ACS Nano recently featured an article that provides the groundwork for the integration of alternative testing strategies. The article grew out of a workshop hosted by the UC CEIN that brought together international leaders in nanotechnology to explore the societal challenges posed by the new wave of ENMs and to discuss opportunities for developing a new predictive paradigm for toxicity testing. This first-of-its-kind consensus statement details how alternative strategies could be used to benefit decision-making about safety and to create a new method for assessing the health and environmental effects of ENMs. Co-authors included members of UC CEIN, the Luskin Center, as well as other academic, government and industry representatives.
Left to Right: David Avery, André Nel and Timothy Malloy of UC CEIN on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of alternative testing strategies for safe implementation of nanotechnology
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FRENCH REGISTRY OFFERS INSIGHT INTO FUTURE NANOTECHNOLOGY REGULATION
Tim Malloy, professor of law, UCLA
To determine the uses and likely exposures of nanoscale materials, some countries are beginning to mandate the registration of nanoscale materials. André Nel, Tim Malloy, Elina Nasser, Dave Avery and Elizabeth Beryt co-authored an editorial discussing the possible implications of France’s new registry of nanoparticle substances. The French registry requires
all entities to file a declaration if they manufacture, import or distribute at least 100 grams per year of a nanoparticle substance. The impact of the French Registry will provide important insights into the next steps that governments around the globe may take to obtain information about the commercial applications and safety of nanoscale materials.
THE ROLE OF VALIDATION IN THE ADOPTION OF NEW TESTING METHODS
Elizabeth Beryt
Nanotechnology policy fellow Elizabeth conducts research focused upon existing and potential governance policies relating to engineered nanomaterials. The research integrates policy concerns and opportunities with emerging science and industry practices. Special attention is given to advances in toxicity testing and their use in decision-making. Elizabeth holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law and a B.S. in Mathematics from UC Irvine.
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Nanotechnologies present significant regulatory, societal and ethical challenges. At the “Second Annual Conference on the Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy and Ethics,” Elizabeth Beryt of the Luskin Center and UC CEIN presented on whether endorsement (or lack of endorsement) of new testing methods by validation authorities impacts the achievement of the goals put forth in the National Research Council Report entitled “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy.” Alternative testing strategies are an important component to determining the safety of nanotechnologies and other materials. Thus, it will be crucial to have in place a system of validation that supports the adoption of alternative testing strategies by government agencies.
• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
HOW SMALL IS
SMALL?
A single-walled carbon nanotube is
1 nanometer in diameter
A red blood cell is
7,000 nanometers across The head of a pin is
1,000,000 nanometers across
CRITICAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE NANOTECHNOLOGY
Hilary Godwin, professor of environmental health sciences, UCLA
Engineered nanomaterials are in a wide range of products and applications. To ensure that potential harm does not exceed the benefits of nanotechnologies, it will be important to research, develop and use nanotechnologies in a sustainable manner. The “Second Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) Conference” brought together experts on the subject of nanotechnology and sustainability to address life cycle assessment, green synthesis, green energy, industrial partnerships,
Consumer Products
Rubin Li, post-doctoral scholar at the UC CEIN and SNO Conference poster winner (center)
EXPLORING THE REGULATORY ASPECTS OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES There are significant gaps in information concerning the environmental health and safety impacts of chemicals. The role that a new predictive toxicology testing paradigm could play in regulatory decision-making is uncertain especially in regards to emerging technologies, such as nanomaterials. At the “First Annual Conference on the Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy and Ethics,” Elizabeth Beryt presented on the potential for alterna-
tive testing strategies to be used in the context of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The specific legal-institutional context will drive the integration of alternative testing strategies into the regulation of new and existing chemicals. Thus, it is important to consider the possible incorporation of alternative testing strategies by regulatory agencies in the context of the specific action that the testing strategy will be used.
environmental health and safety, and the overall sustainability of engineered nanomaterials. The conference included participation by Luskin Center partners from the UC CEIN including André Nel, Tim Malloy, Arturo Keller, Hilary Godwin and Elizabeth Beryt, who presented on the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology, and the potential tools and methods to assess and prevent negative implications of the technology.
Energy/ Environment
NANOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS & PRODUCTS DrugDelivery Techniques
Food/ Agriculture
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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY Developing strategies to spur renewable energy and energy efficiency in California.
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• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
LADWP’S ROOFTOP SOLAR PROGRAM DELIVERING PROMISED RESULTS Los Angeles’ groundbreaking rooftop solar energy program is delivering on its promise to bring cost-effective, clean power to tens of thousands of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customers, and is ready for a significant expansion that would bring even greater benefits to Angelenos, according to a Luskin Center report commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council. Under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) program, the design of which was informed by previous research from the Luskin Center, electric power generated by solar rooftop installations on office and retail buildings, warehouses and apartment complexes is sold to the LADWP for use by its residential and business customers.
J.R. DeShazo and Alex Turek of the Luskin Center evaluated the initial two phases of the program, representing about 40 megawatts (MW) of solar power. These two allocations received a total of 256 program applications, many from applicants whom the researchers interviewed. The study concluded that the “FIT 100” is on track to deliver 100 MW of carbon-free energy by 2015, enough to power more than 21,000 homes annually.
Mary Leslie
president, Los Angeles Business Council Under the leadership of Mary Leslie, the Los Angeles Business Council is one of the most respected business advocacy organizations in California and has developed a national reputation as a catalyst for innovative policy in renewable energy and other fields. The LABC led a citywide coalition to support the creation of the CLEAN LA Solar feed-in tariff program, the largest rooftop solar buyback program in the United States. The Luskin Center is proud to have contributed research to inform this program, kicking off what is now five years of collaboration with the LABC.
Anh Wood, program manager, LADWP
FURTHER TAPPING LA’S VAST SOLAR POTENTIAL COULD REAP HUGE BENEFITS FOR CITY’S DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES A significantly expanded commercial rooftop solar program in Los Angeles would create thousands of new jobs and spur hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment, with particular benefit to residents living in traditionally under-served neighborhoods, according to a joint UCLA/USC study conducted on behalf of the Los Angeles Business Council Institute. The report “Sharing Solar’s Promise: Harnessing LA’s FIT to Create Jobs and Build Social Equity” calls for the LADWP’s current feed-in tariff program, also known as CLEAN LA Solar, to be expanded from 100 to 600 megawatts,
and to include incentives for solar developers and property owners to focus much of that growth in low-income communities where solar potential is among the most promising in the city. According to the report, over 40 percent of the current CLEAN LA Solar project applications are located in these solar equity “hot spots,” where rooftop solar capacity is high and so is the need for economic and Manuel Pastor, director, USC environmental investments. Program for J.R. DeShazo, director, Luskin Center
Environmental and Regional Equity
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LADWP ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS ENERGIZE JOB CREATION
Marcie Edwards, general manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
David Jacot, director of energy efficiency, LADWP
A Luskin Center study finds that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is efficiently energizing job creation in Los Angeles through its energy efficiency programs. LADWP’s diverse portfolio of energy efficiency programs create 16 job-years per million dollars invested in Los Angeles County and have the potential to create over a quarter billion dollars in economic output at current funding levels. Forecasting through 2020, the Luskin Center study finds that LADWP energy efficiency programs would create nearly 17,000 job-years in Los Angeles County.
Alex Turek, project manager, Luskin Center
The study “Efficiently Energizing Job Creation in Los Angeles” helped inform LADWP’s decision to pursue the goal of achieving a 15 percent reduction in electricity consumption through energy efficiency efforts in Los Angeles. With the recent adoption of this plan by the LADWP board and expected increased funding for energy efficiency, the job creation benefits discussed in the study will be further increased. The 18 programs researched in this study generally come in two varieties —incentive/rebate based or direct install—and deal with new construction as well as retrofits of existing building stock. Beneficiaries of these energy efficiency efforts are broad ranging, including low-income and life-line customers, other residential customers, and commercial and industrial customers.
Michael Samulon, research analyst, Luskin Center
BUILDING A GREENER LA: ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICIES FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS
Left to Right: Yuka Matsukawa, Saira Gandhi, Amanda Morrall
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• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
Los Angeles is considering a series of energy efficiency policies. The Luskin Center supported a study, commissioned by the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and conducted by graduate researchers, to specifically inform an energy disclosure benchmarking policy. This policy would mandate the disclosure of annual energy use for large existing buildings. Eighty four percent of all buildings in Los Angeles predate California’s first energy efficiency building codes, and most energy efficiency programs do not target older buildings. Accordingly, it is important to consider how improved information availability, incentives and regulation can improve the efficiency of existing buildings.
ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY ECONOMICS SEMINAR SERIES 1
Every Breath You Take, Every Dollar You’ll Make: The LongTerm Consequences of the Clean Air Act of 1970 W. Reed Walker, UC Berkeley
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Household Demand for Low Carbon Public Policies: Evidence from California Matthew Kahn, UCLA
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The Lightbulb Paradox: Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments Hunt Allcott, New York University
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The Demand for Energy-Using Assets Among the World’s Rising Middle Classes Catherine Wolfram, UC Berkeley
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Forecasting the Cost to Firms of Climate Policy Using Prediction Markets and Lobbying Records Kyle Meng, Columbia University
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Commercial and Industrial Demand Response Under Mandatory Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing Katrina Jessoe, UC Davis
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Designing Effective Plug-in Electric Vehicle Rebates Tamara Sheldon, UC San Diego
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Effortless Perfection: Do Chinese Cities Manipulate Air Pollution Data? Junjie Zhang, UC San Diego
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The Economics of Attribute-Based Regulation: Theory and Evidence from Fuel-Economy Standards Koichiro Ito, Boston University
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Vehicle Scrappage and Gasoline Policy Mark Jacobsen, UC San Diego
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WATER SYSTEMS Advancing technological, economic and policy solutions to develop underutilized local water systems.
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• UCLA LUSKIN CENTER FOR INNOVATION
WATER ATLAS ADDRESSES CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES Luskin Center researchers have used spatial analysis to map water vulnerable communities across Community Water Systems (CWS’s) serving Los Angeles County. Water vulnerable communities face severe challenges adapting to rising water costs, compromised water quality and drought scenarios. Water service boundaries were overlain on environmental health risk, mid-century temperature rise and community characteristic datasets, enabling researchers to characterize water vulnerability at the CWS level. This research project will be published as the “Southern California Water Atlas” along with a publicly accessible web-based mapping application.
Henry McCann, project manager, Luskin Center
TURNING A HOME’S GRAYWATER INTO A RESOURCE
This was underscored by a proof-of-concept study in West Los Angeles—led by the UCLA WaTeR Center with support from the Luskin Center—demonstrating the technical feasibility of using low-cost, onsite graywater treatment systems in a residential home. Other water treatment technology developed by Professor Cohen and his colleagues is being piloted in California.
Avg. daily water consumption per household, L/day- household
The severe drought in California underscores the need for water reuse strategies. UCLA researchers Zita L.T. Yu, J.R. DeShazo, Michael K. Stenstrom and Yoram Cohen conducted a cost-benefit analysis of onsite graywater recycling. Graywater—wastewater from handwashing, bathing and laundry—could be used after treatment for irrigation and toilet flushing. The researchers found that onsite graywater recycling could reduce potable water demand by 27% and 38% in single-family and multi-family homes, respectively. They also showed that low-cost treatment approaches for graywater recycling could provide many benefits to the City of Los Angeles.
Left to Right: Yoram Cohen and Zita L.T. Yu in a backyard irrigated with treated graywater at the West L.A. study site.
1,200
POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN POTABLE WATER DEMAND ACHIEVABLE WITH ONSITE GRAYWATER RECYCLING IN L.A. Surplus Other water use Kitchen Toilet flushing Sinks, shower and laundry Irrigation
1,000 800 600 400 200 0
Potable water use
Graywater augmented water use Single family
Potable water demand
Graywater augmented water use Multifamily
VALUING THE BENEFITS OF IMPROVED RELIABILITY FROM LOCALLY DEVELOPED SOURCES OF WATER The Luskin Center is developing a tool to evaluate the economic value of increasing water supply reliability from investment in local water supply projects, an often overlooked component of project evaluation. Using an avoided cost approach, researchers will estimate the cost of drought response at the utility and household scale. These metrics, along with the rising costs of imported water, will assist forward looking utilities in developing underutilized local water sources like recycled water.
Allison Faris, research analyst, Luskin Center
Jeff Mosher, executive director, National Water Research Institute INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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THE COMING WATER CRISIS: SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES Australia and the western U.S. share concerns over drought, making them ideal partners on water resource planning. UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES), International Institute, Luskin Center and School of Law partnered with the Australian government to host a “U.S.-Australian Dialogue on Water—The Coming Water Crisis: Solutions and Strategies.” Conference segments considered coping techniques for arid environments, blueprints for better water management and new water sources for the future.
Madelyn Glickfeld, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group, IoES
ENGAGING DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Miriam Torres, former student researcher, Luskin Center
Building upon efforts to support the effective design and implementation of environmental justice programs, the Luskin Center provided a grant to Miriam Torres for the study “Engaging Disadvantaged Communities in Resource Management: a Case Study Evaluation of a Planning Process in the Cities of Compton and Lynwood.” The study evaluated the planning process implemented with residents from disadvantaged communities to develop projects that meet Integrated Regional Water Management guidelines, creating lessons learned for future efforts.
LUSKIN CENTER JOINS CALIFORNIA URBAN WATER CONSERVATION COUNCIL TO ADVANCE SO CAL WATER SUPPLY RESILIENCY RESEARCH The Luskin Center has accepted membership in a council of over 400 urban water suppliers, environmental organizations and water policy researchers. This collaborative advances water conservation practices at the utility-scale throughout California. Urban water suppliers provide annual data about their water sources, water de-
liveries, distribution and billing systems and implementation of water conservation programs. As a member, the Luskin Center now has full access to these datasets and will facilitate queries to support the UCLA research community.
McMahon: IMFs INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO MEASURING THE PERSISTENCE OF DROUGHT IN CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS Amber Kuss, Ph.D. candidate, is joining the Luskin Center to develop the Empirical Mode Decomposition technique for extracting complex signals, called intrinsic mode functions, from streamflow records in a California watershed.
INTRINSIC MODE FUNCTIONS FOR NON-STATIONARY DATA
80% of variance
IPO IMFs Interdecadal
~ 20% of variance
(McMahon et al., 2008)
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ENSO IMFs Intradecadal
ETCETERA LUSKIN CENTER DIRECTLY SUPPORTED 50 UCLA STUDENTS IN THE 2013-14 ACADEMIC YEAR
This year the Luskin Center employed 35 student researchers, provided research grants to another 15 graduate students and enhanced the educational experience of many more through events that informed and connected students with public, private and civil society leaders. Examples of the grant recipients and their projects are highlighted to the right.
J.R. DESHAZO APPOINTED TO EPA SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Loosine Vartani Project: Exploring Digital Communities in the Southern Caucasus
SPECIAL JOURNAL ISSUE ON ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER ENVIRONMENTALISM
Sean Kennedy Project: EcoCertification of Natural Rubber
LISA WU WINS AWARDS FOR BEST RESEARCH DESIGN
U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy appointed Dr. DeShazo, director of the Luskin Center, to the EPA’s Environmental Economics Advisory Committee, through the Science Advisory Board.
PAUL ONG RECEIVES DON T. NAKANISHI AWARD
The University of California Transportation Center and the Department of Urban Planning at the UCLA Luskin School gave Lisa Wu MURP ‘14 awards for best research design for her thesis. The thesis is part of a larger, ongoing project involving the Luskin Center to identify urban design and traffic management strategies that reduce air pollution exposure. J.R. DESHAZO PUBLICATION HONORS
The Association of the Environmental and Resource Economists recognized J.R. DeShazo and Trudy Ann Cameron for co-authoring “Demand for Health Risk Reductions,” awarded the best paper of 2013. Dr. DeShazo and colleagues also published the study “Tropical Countries May be Willing to Pay More to Protect their Forests,” which identifies new strategies for tropical forest protection in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The Luskin Center was a proud sponsor of a special journal issue about environmentalism in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, published in the journal AAPI Nexus. Paul Ong, professor of Urban Planning, Social Welfare and Asian American Studies, is the journal’s senior editor.
Luskin Center Scholar Paul Ong is the 2013-14 recipient of the Don T. Nakanishi Award for Outstanding Engaged Scholarship in Asian American Studies at UCLA. Dr. Ong directs the Center for the Study of Inequality at the Luskin School. CHARLES C. MANN ON THE FUTURE OF FOOD AND THE FUTURE OF FARMERS
ISELLA RAMIREZ RECEIVES SWITZER FELLOWSHIP
The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation awarded a fellowship to Isella Ramirez MURP ‘14. This year Isella also contributed to the Luskin Center’s environmental justice work as a student researcher.
By the time today’s UCLA undergraduates hit middle age, the world will hold almost 10 billion people. Dinner for the 10 billion, agronomists say, will be a huge challenge: we are running out of arable land, water supplies are stretched, and the advances of the “green revolution” are fading. The Luskin Center was a sponsor of the UCLA Regents’ Lecture Charles C. Mann, who proposed a more sustainable future for food and farmers. INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU
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RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES Supported by the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the Luskin Center Matthew Kahn Why Should Environmental Scientists Talk to Economists? UCLA Department of Public Policy, UCLA Department of Economics
Magali Delmas The Who, the When and the How of Energy Conservation UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Glen MacDonald
Stephanie Pincetl Addressing Climate Change: Regional Collaboratives UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Susanna Hecht Forest Recovery UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Miriam Golden
Drought that has Altered Past Societies: What can they Tell Us About Today?
Climate Change, Public Health and Violence in Arctic Canada
UCLA Department of Geography
UCLA Department of Political Science
Xavier Swamikannu Environmental Protection Priorities and Challenges in South Asia
Anthony Michaels Dare to be Trivial Proteus Environmental Technologies
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Rajit Gadh Smart Connection of EV’s into the Electric Grid UCLA Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
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Jason Snyder Human Capital Strategy and Socially Responsible Business Practices UCLA Anderson School of Management
Luskin School of Public Affairs
ADMINISTRATION J.R. DeShazo, director Colleen Callahan, deputy director Susan Woodward, office manager Elizabeth Beryt, nanotechnology policy fellow Henry McCann, project manager Benjamin Nguyen, student assistant Michael Samulon, research analyst Alex Turek, project manager Brett Williams, program director, electric vehicles & alternative fuels Christian Zarate, communications and events specialist Project Manager: Christian Zarate Editors: Colleen Callahan Susan Woodward Design: Chistian Zarate Contributing Writers: Elizabeth Beryt Elizabeth Bieber Colleen Callahan Henry McCann Brett Williams Lisa Wu Photography: Mary Beth DeLucia Photography Rich Schmitt Photography Todd Cheney/ASUCLA Reed Hutchinson Photography Benjamin Nguyen
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Luskin School of Public Affairs
INNOVATION.LUSKIN.UCLA.EDU 3323 Luskin School of Public Affairs Box 951656, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
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LUSKIN CENTER ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS INCLUDE: 1. Renee Luskin; Chairman Mary Nichols, California Air Resource Board; and Meyer Luskin 2. J.R. DeShazo, director, Luskin Center; and David Nahai, president, David Nahai Companies
3. California Senator Fran Pavley 4. Hasan Ikhrata, executive director, Southern California Association of Governments 5. Mary Leslie, president, Los Angeles Business Council