Energy and Environment Introduction Policymaking Simulation
  • Setting the priority level to reduce air pollution from energy production that has negative public health effects.
  • Setting the priority level to reduce greenhouse gases from energy production.
Energy and Environment
Introduction
International Climate Agreement Policymaking Simulation
  • Whether the US should participate in the international agreement recently negotiated in Paris and signed in New York, and thereby adopting the goal of reducing its greenhouse gases approximately 2% a year
  • Whether the US should provide aid to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gases as part of the larger Paris agreement
International
Climate Agreement
The Clean Power Plan Policymaking Simulation
  • Whether the US should implement a plan to reduce carbon dioxide in the air by calling for each state in the US to reduce carbon dioxide from power plants by 2‐3% a year. Each state is to come up with a plan suited to its circumstances and energy mix.
  • Whether the US should mitigate the effects of the Clean Power Plan on the coal industry by having the government subsidize the development and building of new technologies for sequestering carbon dioxide.
  • Whether the US should provide coal workers who lost their jobs with support and training to make the transition to other employment.
Tax Incentives to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emmissions Policymaking Simulation
  • Whether the federal government should provide tax incentives to promote the reduction of carbon dioxide and other pollutants
  • Whether the federal government should extend tax credits to consumers and businesses for installing fuel‐efficient lighting, doors, windows and insulation, building new energy efficient homes, and installing wind and fuel cells
  • Whether the federal government should provide tax credits for building biogas facilities on farms, which would reduce methane
Tax Incentives to Reduce
Carbon Dioxide Emmissions
Approaches to Reducing Carbon Dioxide and Other Pollutants Policymaking Simulation
Whether there should be government regulations to reduce carbon dioxide and other
pollutants by:

  • requiring higher fuel efficiency standards for light cars, trucks, and heavy duty vehicles
  • requiring electric companies to have a minimum portion of their electricity come from renewable sources
  • requiring businesses to gradually replace hydrofluorocarbons with alternative refrigerants
  • taxing the production of carbon dioxide
  • using the income generated by a carbon tax to offset the impact of a carbon tax on people with low to middle incomes
Regulations to Reduce
Carbon Dioxide and
Other Pollutants
Ground-Level Ozone Policymaking Simulation
  • Evaluate proposal to delay the requirement that states undertake a step‐by‐step plan for lowering the maximum allowed ozone levels
Ground-Level Ozone
Solar Panel Tariffs Policymaking Simulation
  • Whether to impose a tariff on solar energy panels
Solar Panel Tariffs
Offshore Oil Drilling Policymaking Simulation
  • Lifting Oil Drilling Bans: Whether to lift the bans and allow drilling for oil and gas along all of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and to expand the allowed area around Alaska
  • Allow State-Specific Bans: Whether to allow governors requesting a waiver that would keep in place the ban on offshore drilling along their state’s coastline
  • Independent Auditors: Whether to lift the regulation requiring that oil drilling equipment be inspected by independent auditors certified by the federal government
  • Clean-Up Fund: Whether to renew for 5 years the tax oil companies pay to a special fund to cover the cost of acting immediately to clean up an oil spill when necessary and raise the amount from 9 cents to 10 cents per barrel
Offshore Drilling