Mark Stephan, associate professor of political science at Washington State University Vancouver, is part of a collaborative research team receiving a National Science Foundation grant for a three-year study on state and local climate risk governance.
Stephan is co-investigator with Dorothy Daley, associate professor of public affairs and environmental studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The principal investigator is Troy D. Abel, associate professor of environmental policy at Western Washington University’s Poulsbo campus.
WSU Vancouver’s share of the grant, $99,646, will pay for data collection and field work in six states as well as the hiring of a research assistant for the three years. Western Washington University will receive $218,121, and the University of Kansas, $227,255.
The research team will present initial analysis results today at the American Political Science Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The team analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 7,000 facilities in nine sectors. Preliminary results suggest that greater reductions in emissions are occurring in states with active governance related to climate change.
