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How much is a bat worth? Protecting these tiny insect‑eaters isn’t just good for farms – their deaths cost taxpayers and the wider economy
Dale Manning, Anya Nakhmurina, Eli Fenichel Most Americans tend to think about bats only around Halloween, but the U.S. economy benefits from these furry flying mammals every day. Bats pollinate plants, including many important food crops, when they stop by flowers to drink nectar. Their guano is mined from caves for fertilizer. And…
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New study explores energy and resource impacts of quantum computing
As quantum computing moves closer to large-scale deployment, new research is examining its future energy, water, and material demands. David McCollum, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory distinguished scientist, is leading the project. McCollum is also a joint faculty professor in the Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy (CETEP) at the Howard H. Baker…
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Tim Fitzgerald: Exploring the Intersection of Natural Resources and Economics
From the White House to the lecture halls of academia, Dr. Timothy Fitzgerald has lived in every U.S. time zone, letting his academic interests shape his journey. A seasoned economist with expertise in energy markets, he has long been fascinated by natural resources, their uses, and their impact on daily…
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The Tom Gilbert Graduate Award
This award was established through the generosity of UT alumnus Vernon (Tom) Gilbert, a lifelong champion of conservation and education programs for natural resources across the world. His legacy includes biosphere reserves to preserve diverse and unique ecosystems. He founded the Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) Cooperative, which…
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The Conversation: Political bickering and policy uncertainty take a toll on business investment, research shows
Partisan squabbling isn’t just annoying – it’s also bad for business. That’s what my colleagues and I found in a recent study on how uncertainty in environmental policy affects business investment. First, we analyzed more than 300 million newspaper articles, looking for keywords related to environmental policy uncertainty. We found that…
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Transportation Policy Drives Baker School’s Research in Energy and Environment
For over a decade, the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy conducted energy and environmental policy research, informing policy on issues that were passions for Senator Baker. When the Center became the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) in 2023, the…
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Southeast Energy Policy Forum Brings in Policymakers, Academics, and Private Industry to Discuss New Energy Markets
Knoxville, TN – Over one hundred policymakers, academics, and private industry experts gathered for the second annual Southeast Energy Policy Forum presented by the Center for Energy, Transportation and Environmental Policy (CETEP) at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) on August 14…
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CETEP Fellow Paul Armsworth Publishes New Conservation Paper
A new paper, Optimal Conservation Outcomes Consider Donor Geography and Their Willingness to Support More Distant Projects, by Paul Armsworth, et. al. has been published in the Biological Conservation, a leading international journal in the discipline of conservation science. The paper examines patterns of philanthropic giving to conservation to priority…
