With world attention focused on both the environment and the economy, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is where policymakers and business leaders turn for win-win solutions. This leading green group, with programs from Boston to Beijing, has tripled in size over the past decade by focusing on strong science, uncommon partnerships and market-based approaches. You can be part of a vibrant workplace that welcomes diverse perspectives, talents and contributions, where innovation and a focus on results are a way of life.
The
Lorry I. Lokey/Stanford University Fellowship at EDF will support the work of one current graduate student or recent graduate of Stanford University"s graduate programs in the natural or social sciences, the School of Engineering, or the Graduate School of Business. Each year one fellowship position is available with EDF programs in Oceans; Land, Water & Wildlife; Climate & Air; or Health Sciences. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to work directly with experts in science, law, economics, and other disciplines to help solve pressing environmental problems. Compensation and full benefits support the fellow. The fellow will be responsible for any relocation costs. The fellowship begins during the summer and lasts one year. The position is made possible through an endowed fund established by Stanford alumnus Lorry I. Lokey "49. While EDF is presenting 3 projects for consideration, only one Lokey Fellow will be selected. Please see below for a description of each project and its location. Applications will be considered for all 3 projects unless indicated in your application materials.
PROJECT #1 - LWW Program: Mississippi River Delta Quantifying and Communicating Economic Values of Environmental Restoration of the Mississippi River Delta. The disaster combination of Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon brought the eyes of the nation to the Gulf Coast, making focus and resources available to the region. In particular, there is a growing understanding of the importance and values associated with restoring and protecting the wetlands and barrier islands that were formed by the deltaic action of the Mississippi Rivera around New Orleans and across south Louisiana. The goal of this Lokey project is to dig deeply into the economic values associated with the restoration of the Mississippi River Delta, in order to document those values, and to develop the means of communicating those values beyond the region. The prospective fellow will work with the EDF Mississippi River Delta Program in Washington and Louisiana, the EDF Office of Chief Scientist, and the EDF Office of Chief Economist in pursuing this work. In addition to the traditional economic values associated with ports, oil and gas development, production and distribution, tourism, and construction of water and sediment management systems, of special interest will be the values associated with environmental services that can be provided by protected and restored wetlands across the Louisiana coast (carbon sequestration, nutrient management, habitat for fisheries, birds and other species). The results of this project will inform the work of the Mississippi River Delta Program, broader restoration and economic policy. The successful fellow will have a Master"s degree, Ph.D., or significant graduate work in environmental science, business, economics, or a related field, and enjoy direct engagement with people in communities.
Location: Washington, DC; or New York, NY PROJECT #2 - Energy Program: California Climate Initiative. The ability of fuel policy regulations developed under California"s landmark climate law (AB 32) to cut emissions from cars and trucks is one of AB32"s most important aspects. Not only does California burn about 20 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel every year, more than half of the fuel comes from imported oil. Accordingly, the state is poisoning its environment and is paying both neighboring states and foreign nations billions of dollars every year for the materials to do it. AB32 is an opportunity to change this dynamic. Beginning on January 1, 2015, the state"s cap and trade regulation expands to include the combustion of transportation fuels within the emissions reduction program. Similarly, in the years 2015 and 2016, by design, the state"s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) begins to significantly ratchet up fuel carbon reduction requirements. Once GHG emissions from transportation fuels are included in the cap, and the LCFS starts to hit home, an entirely new dynamic pricing signal for reducing pollution will be in place. This signal will lead not only to decreased demand in the long-run, it will lead to increased fuel diversification and investment in alternatives. Together, these standards are a monumental shift for transportation fuel policy in California, and the United States – and are therefore directly in the cross-hairs of major oil companies. Major efforts to undermine the California regulatory landscape are under way by California oil companies. Valero and Chevron are known funders of periodic reports that make spurious conclusions about impending disastrously high energy prices. Chevron donates millions of dollars to lobbying campaigns designed to unseat environmentally minded legislators, while also donating to right wing climate deniers to shape opinion in the state capitol. We expect this trend to continue, through the 2014 calendar year, and expect questions about the appropriateness of California"s fuel policy to become major issues in the November 2014 statewide election and gubernatorial race. The California Climate Initiative seeks a Lokey fellow to expand the ability of the existing team on existing and emerging issues of transportation fuel policy in California. The fellow will work with EDF"s attorneys and scientists to defend California fuel policies in court, provide substantive analysis of Legislative and Regulatory proposals, review specialized reports and analysis from policy opponents, and help implement new and ongoing research projects. Ideally, the fellow would possess combined expertise in law and environmental science and would help analyze and formulate responses to oil industry attacks in the courts, the legislature and media. In addition, a fellow with intimate knowledge of technological opportunities for reducing emissions from fuel production and use, an ability to understand and convey complex economic principles, and an awareness of standards to account for lifecycle emissions would be of highest value.
Location: San Francisco PROJECT #3 - Climate and Air Program: International Climate Leveraging Incentives to Reduce Emissions and Deliver Land-based Environmental Benefits. Tropical deforestation and agriculture together account for roughly 25% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and EDF is at the forefront of efforts to develop market-based incentives and other pragmatic policies to reduce these emissions and help avert harmful climate change. Over the next few decades, as developing countries continue their development and increase their standards of living, global food production will have to double to feed the expected 10 billion people across the planet. Large-scale, transformational policies are needed to reduce pressure on rainforests while increasing the productivity and lowering the emission intensity of crop and animal agriculture. EDF works at a range of scales to put the right policies, incentives, and technologies in place to unlock the vast climate mitigation potential in the land sector. Several EDF initiatives have built the foundation for a successful landscape-level approach to climate mitigation through land management and low carbon economic development. The Fellow will play a key role in EDF"s research and policy efforts to leverage the power of markets and other economic incentives for land-based mitigation at the intersection of agriculture and forestry. The goal of this fellowship is to help identify and develop effective incentives for activities that can achieve significant reductions in emissions from the land sector, especially those focused on achieving greater efficiency in production systems. Examples of potential work areas include analyzing and designing market-based policies for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) in forested nations such as Brazil and Mexico and at the United Nations climate talks, and promoting the acceptance of REDD+ credits in compliance carbon markets in Australia, California, Europe and elsewhere; advocating for better state and national-scale bioenergy policies in the US, Europe and New Zealand; shaping voluntary markets and commodity certification with corporate partners; and implementing new initiatives at the village, farm, and household levels in India and other countries. The Lokey Fellow will work with an expert and experienced team in EDF"s International Climate Program with access to key contacts and data sources in a host of countries. The Fellow will work with the EDF International Climate Program, the Land, Water and Wildlife Program, the Office of the Chief Economist, the Office of the Chief Scientist, and outside experts to create shared analyses, policy goals, and strategies for delivering environmental benefits and large-scale emissions reductions. The Fellow will contribute to a variety of research outputs including peer-reviewed papers and presentations. The results of this project will inform EDF's policy efforts in all of our venues for advocacy. The successful Fellow will have a Master"s degree, Ph.D., or significant graduate work in environmental science, ecology, economics, or a related field, with a focus on land management issues, ecosystem services, or resource economics. The fellow should be comfortable working independently or as part of a team, and should have excellent communication skills. Experience with systems modeling, database management, and geographic information systems would be advantageous.
Location: Washington, DC Application Process: Applicants must submit: Cover letter indicating interest in a specific project, if so desired, resume and writing sample (no more than 5 pages). Each applicant must have a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who knows you and your work well. Letters of recommendation should be sent to Cheryl Pickard, EDF, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20009.
Students who do not have their degree conferred by the start date of the Lokey Fellowship must obtain permission from their departments for any required leave of absence and must have written documentation of such permission.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS COB FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013. Due to the volume of employment applications and queries received, EDF is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate.
Environmental Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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