How Green is Your State? Constructing a modern state environmental index

About the lecture: 

The most recent comprehensive state environmental index is over 25 years old. Hall & Kerr's 1991-1992 Green Index uses 256 indicators to gauge the environmental performance and policies of every state and it is still being used today in lieu of any suitable replacement. American University's Center for Environmental Policy is creating a new state environmental index to assess the ecological efficiency of each state. Come hear about the preliminary results of this index, and learn more about the challenges and hard decisions inherent in constructing an index.

Riordan Frost is a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Hailing originally from Minnesota, his interest in cities and the ways in which they enable more socially connected, environmentally efficient living started at a young age. He received a BA in Philosophy from Connecticut College, where he focused on the ethical elements of individual and societal actions, which he then incorporated into his research and writing about policy for the think tank Minnesota 2020. The constant student, he then went back to school to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree at American University, and hearing someone say 'four more years' decided to stay and get his PhD in Public Administration.

Sponsored by: University of Michigan Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)

Co-Sponsors: 
University of Michigan Program in the Environment (PitE)
University of Michigan Energy Institute
University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment

For more information visit www.closup.umich.edu or call 734-647-4091.  Follow on Twitter @closup

• Environmental Index