California based Tesla Motors is credited with the revival of the electric vehicle (EV). The comp... more California based Tesla Motors is credited with the revival of the electric vehicle (EV). The company is set on a course to create seismic shifts in the automobiles industry , especially in the way vehicles are produced and operate. Examples of next generation electric vehicles range from load hauling semi-trucks to self driving passenger cars. Tesla’s success in making the electric vehicle market feasible, signals major changes to traffic laws and regulations and in the way transportation infrastructure network is built in the future.
In the past however, the discovery of large scale malpractices in the automobiles industry, particularly the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal1 , has placed the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality in the centre stage. As a consequence the EPA has commissioned ICCT to conduct studies investigating manufacturers’ practices. While Tesla enjoys tremendous amount of shareholder support and public goodwill, ICCT views that as an opportunity to study challenges faced by Tesla and EV industry as a whole. ICCT’s recommendations are based on the scope of its findings, which generally encompass infringement on the rights of customers and the environment. ICCT believes its recommendations will help the EPA in shaping its regulation and monitoring & evaluation programs for the EV industry as a whole.
At the time of its independence in 1947, 33% of Pakistan was under the forest cover i. By the end... more At the time of its independence in 1947, 33% of Pakistan was under the forest cover i. By the end of 2015 this cover had fallen to 1.9%, primarily due to deforestation ii. With an annual deforestation rate of 2.1% Pakistan ranks the highest in Asia iii. A country of roughly 200 million, Pakistan is 8th on the list of countries most effected by climate change in the past two decades iv. And despite being a low emitter of GHGs (less than 1% global contributions) v the melting of Siachen and Boltoro glaciers in the Himalayas (the largest glaciers in the world outside of Arctic and Antarctica and colloquially referred to as the Third Pole) threatens the volumetric flow rate of many of the most important rivers of Pakistan, thus placing it amongst countries most vulnerable to climate change vi. Exogenous factors aside, antiquated agriculture and livestock sector, lack of solid waste management, rabid industrial development and illegal deforestation continue to malign honest efforts to mitigate environmental issues in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks highly in indices for desertification and water depletion. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is already the third most water-stressed country in the world and is poised to become a water-scarce country by 2025 vii. This is a harrowing statistic considering Pakistan heavily relies on the Indus basin river system for irrigation for its agriculture, accounting for 21% of the its GDP. Amidst all the bad news, there is some good news: 2% of Pakistan's forest cover is destined to recover by 2018 through a grassroots reforestation drive called the " Billion Tree Tsunami " (BTT) project viii. This is the first reforestation or afforestation project of its kind in the country. It was initiated in 2015 by the provincial government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Situated in the Northwestern foothills of three mighty mountain ranges of the world, the Karakoram, Hindu-Kush and the Himalayas, KP holds 40% of the country's remaining forest cover ix and has been most vulnerable to illegal deforestation. In a country with lax legal codes, a wanting judicial system and absence of constitutional protection for the right to live in a healthy environment for its citizens, there exists plenty of administrative oversight and corruption when it comes to tackling the practice of deforestation. The road to recovery seems long and arduous and the policy challenges increasingly complex. Aside nota bene: This policy brief is addressed to the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan, whose party (The Movement for Justice) had adopted the Billion Tree Tsunami (BTT) project in its previous provincial term in KP. The policy brief analyzes the legal shortcomings and environmental implications of the Billion Tree Tsunami reforestation drive. It also assesses the economic viability of the BTT project and investigates the concerns emanating within environmental groups on the identified tree species for plantation and their impact on the flora and fauna of the region. It looks at comparable afforestation drives in other jurisdictions around the world namely, Brazil, India and China and provides recommendations to cull deforestation practices through strengthening of legal codes and innovation and technology.
Moneyball was a 2011 American sports drama film that popularized the role of Statistics in baseba... more Moneyball was a 2011 American sports drama film that popularized the role of Statistics in baseball like never before. The film depicts the true story of a professional baseball team, the Oakland Athletics and their 2002 regular season. The team won 20 consecutive games - tying a 118 year old record for the 3rd highest winning streak in history. This was all the more surprising as this was a franchise without any notable “big name” players. More significantly, the Oakland As were ranked the third lowest in payroll in the entire league. For our particular interest, behind this winning streak was a statistical model designed by Peter Brandt a young Yale economics graduate. Going against conventional baseball logic, young Brandt proposed an assembly of an unlikely set of players, based purely on their OBP (on base percentage). OBP up until that time at the time had been an overlooked statistic. It is now believed to be one of the most effective statistics in baseball that shows the ability of a batter to hit the ball and get on a base, thus advancing the offensive aspect of the game. The model was supported and put into action by the team’s general manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt in the movie). The net result was that statistical analysis in evaluating player performance and team combinations became institutionalized in modern baseball almost in span of few months.
Various studies in economics and statistics have cemented the prognosis that intra- household bar... more Various studies in economics and statistics have cemented the prognosis that intra- household bargaining power of women in developing countries have a positive correlation with a number of social and human developmental indicators. The most pertinent of these are the health and education of the children in the household. These are followed by the likelihood of lower birth rates and greater decision making by women in large household purchases. The net effect can be summarized as the dividends of women empowerment. To date, the most outstanding credit banking product to have facilitated women empowerment in South Asia has been modern micro- financing. By definition “micro-financing” is the provision of financial services to poor and low income households without access to formal financial institutions. Ironically, accessibility itself has been a major hurdle in how micro-financial institutions (MFIs) disburse loans and cast a wider net to reach as many people as possible. With the advent of cellular technologies, mobile banking has “promised to increase the efficiency and outreach of micro-finance loans in developing countries, thus allowing MFIs to reach more people with lower fees and interest rates”.
Executive Summary: The " Broadway Corridor " is defined by 4th Avenue to the north, 16th Avenue t... more Executive Summary: The " Broadway Corridor " is defined by 4th Avenue to the north, 16th Avenue to the south, University of British Columbia (UBC) in the west and the Commercial Broadway SkyTrain Station in the east. It measures approximately 13km from east to west, and a little over one kilometre from north to south. It is the busiest bus route in North America and the second largest business and innovation centre in British Columbia. 1 The Broadway Corridor is Vancouver's major arterial route and a longtime contender for rapid transit system. From the City's perspective, the density of patronage transit along Broadway, primarily for UBC and the healthcare precinct, holds the key to unlocking the economic potential both for the university and itself. Over the years all tiers of governments in BC have jumped on opportunities to showcase Vancouver's potential to the world. Expo-86 is the crowning example. It demonstrated to the world a city nestled in natural beauty with a modern touch of aesthetic human urban design. An elevated advanced rapid transit system, aptly named " The SkyTrain " showcased the city like it had never been before and shed its image of a sleepy provincial backwater to a city with a global clout. Fast forward twenty four years, the 2010 winter olympics reintroduced Vancouver to the world causing a major stir. Infrastructure like the north south Canada-Line, a high-speed rapid transit linking Richmond and YVR airport to the downtown core and the existing SkyTrain network was received with ravenous applause. The expanding rapid transit network proved to be a great success in terms of reliability, affordability and connectivity. Currently, Vancouver's SkyTrain network is Canada's longest rapid transit system and the longest fully automated driverless system in the world. The network also boasts the world's longest cable-supported transit-only bridge, known as the SkyBridge, to cross the Fraser River in the suburbs. 2 While these are truly remarkable achievements, the focus of the network has been regional connectivity. The dramatic influx of population in lower mainland, particularly in Vancouver's fast growing suburbs like Surrey and Langley, have put the network's capacity and resiliency to test. Various " commuter " analyses prove that the network is poised to meet the " capacity " challenge of regional connectivity without much hinderance. However within Vancouver itself, chronic traffic and transit density issues remain and there is growing concern for projects like the UBC-Broadway rapid transit, which have been in the pipeline for long, to be unaddressed as a matter of urgency.
Traditionally, the dynamics of policy formulation and decision making for issues of “national int... more Traditionally, the dynamics of policy formulation and decision making for issues of “national interest” have an inclination towards nationalistic fervour. For better or for worse, the policies define a nations character and provide a litmus test of its institutional strength. The outcome becomes unpredictable if a domestic policy requires interaction with an external actor. The problem definition is also complicated if an institutional vacuum exists to deal with the policy issue, specifically with respect to technical knowledge. The most counter productive variable in policy formulation, decision making and policy implementation is the presence of bias within the actors; bias severely limits objective assessment of the situation and degrades chances of a fair and balanced outcome.
The above setting uniquely identifies the post independence India-Pakistan relationship and the impediments to dispute settlement and conflict resolution. In the historical context, the two countries were ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications of a sudden divide and remained conscious of their security-status above everything else. The violent nature of the “partition” caused a number of setbacks to the processes of ‘institutional evolution and adaptation’. From the outset, resources had to be diverted to deal with the largest mass migration in human history1 numbering in upwards of 17 million people. Therefore, foremost amongst the processes which could not mature fast enough was ‘political expediency’, particularly for Pakistan.
In more specific terms, processes and policies for resource distribution, dispute settlement and conflict resolution had to evolve in real-time for both countries. Under ideal circumstances they should have had well honed institutional covers with an in house knowledge base for tradeoffs , alternatives and projected outcomes. The vacuum of institutional cover was more apparent for Pakistan than India which inherited most of the civil-service and bureaucratic structures from the colonial setup 2. As a result, the initial attempts of the two nations at resolving their disputes remained tactical than strategic, with an overarching policy of stalling on another. Internally, the lack of resources and absence of accountability caused internal imbalance and inequity in the functioning of state institutional apparatus, particularly for Pakistan. This led to insecurities and an institutionalized “attitude of indifference” towards solving the problems at hand.
California based Tesla Motors is credited with the revival of the electric vehicle (EV). The comp... more California based Tesla Motors is credited with the revival of the electric vehicle (EV). The company is set on a course to create seismic shifts in the automobiles industry , especially in the way vehicles are produced and operate. Examples of next generation electric vehicles range from load hauling semi-trucks to self driving passenger cars. Tesla’s success in making the electric vehicle market feasible, signals major changes to traffic laws and regulations and in the way transportation infrastructure network is built in the future.
In the past however, the discovery of large scale malpractices in the automobiles industry, particularly the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal1 , has placed the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality in the centre stage. As a consequence the EPA has commissioned ICCT to conduct studies investigating manufacturers’ practices. While Tesla enjoys tremendous amount of shareholder support and public goodwill, ICCT views that as an opportunity to study challenges faced by Tesla and EV industry as a whole. ICCT’s recommendations are based on the scope of its findings, which generally encompass infringement on the rights of customers and the environment. ICCT believes its recommendations will help the EPA in shaping its regulation and monitoring & evaluation programs for the EV industry as a whole.
At the time of its independence in 1947, 33% of Pakistan was under the forest cover i. By the end... more At the time of its independence in 1947, 33% of Pakistan was under the forest cover i. By the end of 2015 this cover had fallen to 1.9%, primarily due to deforestation ii. With an annual deforestation rate of 2.1% Pakistan ranks the highest in Asia iii. A country of roughly 200 million, Pakistan is 8th on the list of countries most effected by climate change in the past two decades iv. And despite being a low emitter of GHGs (less than 1% global contributions) v the melting of Siachen and Boltoro glaciers in the Himalayas (the largest glaciers in the world outside of Arctic and Antarctica and colloquially referred to as the Third Pole) threatens the volumetric flow rate of many of the most important rivers of Pakistan, thus placing it amongst countries most vulnerable to climate change vi. Exogenous factors aside, antiquated agriculture and livestock sector, lack of solid waste management, rabid industrial development and illegal deforestation continue to malign honest efforts to mitigate environmental issues in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks highly in indices for desertification and water depletion. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is already the third most water-stressed country in the world and is poised to become a water-scarce country by 2025 vii. This is a harrowing statistic considering Pakistan heavily relies on the Indus basin river system for irrigation for its agriculture, accounting for 21% of the its GDP. Amidst all the bad news, there is some good news: 2% of Pakistan's forest cover is destined to recover by 2018 through a grassroots reforestation drive called the " Billion Tree Tsunami " (BTT) project viii. This is the first reforestation or afforestation project of its kind in the country. It was initiated in 2015 by the provincial government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Situated in the Northwestern foothills of three mighty mountain ranges of the world, the Karakoram, Hindu-Kush and the Himalayas, KP holds 40% of the country's remaining forest cover ix and has been most vulnerable to illegal deforestation. In a country with lax legal codes, a wanting judicial system and absence of constitutional protection for the right to live in a healthy environment for its citizens, there exists plenty of administrative oversight and corruption when it comes to tackling the practice of deforestation. The road to recovery seems long and arduous and the policy challenges increasingly complex. Aside nota bene: This policy brief is addressed to the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan, whose party (The Movement for Justice) had adopted the Billion Tree Tsunami (BTT) project in its previous provincial term in KP. The policy brief analyzes the legal shortcomings and environmental implications of the Billion Tree Tsunami reforestation drive. It also assesses the economic viability of the BTT project and investigates the concerns emanating within environmental groups on the identified tree species for plantation and their impact on the flora and fauna of the region. It looks at comparable afforestation drives in other jurisdictions around the world namely, Brazil, India and China and provides recommendations to cull deforestation practices through strengthening of legal codes and innovation and technology.
Moneyball was a 2011 American sports drama film that popularized the role of Statistics in baseba... more Moneyball was a 2011 American sports drama film that popularized the role of Statistics in baseball like never before. The film depicts the true story of a professional baseball team, the Oakland Athletics and their 2002 regular season. The team won 20 consecutive games - tying a 118 year old record for the 3rd highest winning streak in history. This was all the more surprising as this was a franchise without any notable “big name” players. More significantly, the Oakland As were ranked the third lowest in payroll in the entire league. For our particular interest, behind this winning streak was a statistical model designed by Peter Brandt a young Yale economics graduate. Going against conventional baseball logic, young Brandt proposed an assembly of an unlikely set of players, based purely on their OBP (on base percentage). OBP up until that time at the time had been an overlooked statistic. It is now believed to be one of the most effective statistics in baseball that shows the ability of a batter to hit the ball and get on a base, thus advancing the offensive aspect of the game. The model was supported and put into action by the team’s general manager Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt in the movie). The net result was that statistical analysis in evaluating player performance and team combinations became institutionalized in modern baseball almost in span of few months.
Various studies in economics and statistics have cemented the prognosis that intra- household bar... more Various studies in economics and statistics have cemented the prognosis that intra- household bargaining power of women in developing countries have a positive correlation with a number of social and human developmental indicators. The most pertinent of these are the health and education of the children in the household. These are followed by the likelihood of lower birth rates and greater decision making by women in large household purchases. The net effect can be summarized as the dividends of women empowerment. To date, the most outstanding credit banking product to have facilitated women empowerment in South Asia has been modern micro- financing. By definition “micro-financing” is the provision of financial services to poor and low income households without access to formal financial institutions. Ironically, accessibility itself has been a major hurdle in how micro-financial institutions (MFIs) disburse loans and cast a wider net to reach as many people as possible. With the advent of cellular technologies, mobile banking has “promised to increase the efficiency and outreach of micro-finance loans in developing countries, thus allowing MFIs to reach more people with lower fees and interest rates”.
Executive Summary: The " Broadway Corridor " is defined by 4th Avenue to the north, 16th Avenue t... more Executive Summary: The " Broadway Corridor " is defined by 4th Avenue to the north, 16th Avenue to the south, University of British Columbia (UBC) in the west and the Commercial Broadway SkyTrain Station in the east. It measures approximately 13km from east to west, and a little over one kilometre from north to south. It is the busiest bus route in North America and the second largest business and innovation centre in British Columbia. 1 The Broadway Corridor is Vancouver's major arterial route and a longtime contender for rapid transit system. From the City's perspective, the density of patronage transit along Broadway, primarily for UBC and the healthcare precinct, holds the key to unlocking the economic potential both for the university and itself. Over the years all tiers of governments in BC have jumped on opportunities to showcase Vancouver's potential to the world. Expo-86 is the crowning example. It demonstrated to the world a city nestled in natural beauty with a modern touch of aesthetic human urban design. An elevated advanced rapid transit system, aptly named " The SkyTrain " showcased the city like it had never been before and shed its image of a sleepy provincial backwater to a city with a global clout. Fast forward twenty four years, the 2010 winter olympics reintroduced Vancouver to the world causing a major stir. Infrastructure like the north south Canada-Line, a high-speed rapid transit linking Richmond and YVR airport to the downtown core and the existing SkyTrain network was received with ravenous applause. The expanding rapid transit network proved to be a great success in terms of reliability, affordability and connectivity. Currently, Vancouver's SkyTrain network is Canada's longest rapid transit system and the longest fully automated driverless system in the world. The network also boasts the world's longest cable-supported transit-only bridge, known as the SkyBridge, to cross the Fraser River in the suburbs. 2 While these are truly remarkable achievements, the focus of the network has been regional connectivity. The dramatic influx of population in lower mainland, particularly in Vancouver's fast growing suburbs like Surrey and Langley, have put the network's capacity and resiliency to test. Various " commuter " analyses prove that the network is poised to meet the " capacity " challenge of regional connectivity without much hinderance. However within Vancouver itself, chronic traffic and transit density issues remain and there is growing concern for projects like the UBC-Broadway rapid transit, which have been in the pipeline for long, to be unaddressed as a matter of urgency.
Traditionally, the dynamics of policy formulation and decision making for issues of “national int... more Traditionally, the dynamics of policy formulation and decision making for issues of “national interest” have an inclination towards nationalistic fervour. For better or for worse, the policies define a nations character and provide a litmus test of its institutional strength. The outcome becomes unpredictable if a domestic policy requires interaction with an external actor. The problem definition is also complicated if an institutional vacuum exists to deal with the policy issue, specifically with respect to technical knowledge. The most counter productive variable in policy formulation, decision making and policy implementation is the presence of bias within the actors; bias severely limits objective assessment of the situation and degrades chances of a fair and balanced outcome.
The above setting uniquely identifies the post independence India-Pakistan relationship and the impediments to dispute settlement and conflict resolution. In the historical context, the two countries were ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications of a sudden divide and remained conscious of their security-status above everything else. The violent nature of the “partition” caused a number of setbacks to the processes of ‘institutional evolution and adaptation’. From the outset, resources had to be diverted to deal with the largest mass migration in human history1 numbering in upwards of 17 million people. Therefore, foremost amongst the processes which could not mature fast enough was ‘political expediency’, particularly for Pakistan.
In more specific terms, processes and policies for resource distribution, dispute settlement and conflict resolution had to evolve in real-time for both countries. Under ideal circumstances they should have had well honed institutional covers with an in house knowledge base for tradeoffs , alternatives and projected outcomes. The vacuum of institutional cover was more apparent for Pakistan than India which inherited most of the civil-service and bureaucratic structures from the colonial setup 2. As a result, the initial attempts of the two nations at resolving their disputes remained tactical than strategic, with an overarching policy of stalling on another. Internally, the lack of resources and absence of accountability caused internal imbalance and inequity in the functioning of state institutional apparatus, particularly for Pakistan. This led to insecurities and an institutionalized “attitude of indifference” towards solving the problems at hand.
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Papers by Salman Ghumman
In the past however, the discovery of large scale malpractices in the automobiles industry, particularly the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal1 , has placed the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality in the centre stage. As a consequence the EPA has commissioned ICCT to conduct studies investigating manufacturers’ practices. While Tesla enjoys tremendous amount of shareholder support and public goodwill, ICCT views that as an opportunity to study challenges faced by Tesla and EV industry as a whole. ICCT’s recommendations are based on the scope of its findings, which generally encompass infringement on the rights of customers and the environment. ICCT believes its recommendations will help the EPA in shaping its regulation and monitoring & evaluation programs for the EV industry as a whole.
Drafts by Salman Ghumman
The above setting uniquely identifies the post independence India-Pakistan relationship and the impediments to dispute settlement and conflict resolution. In the historical context, the two countries were ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications of a sudden divide and remained conscious of their security-status above everything else. The violent nature of the “partition” caused a number of setbacks to the processes of ‘institutional evolution and adaptation’. From the outset, resources had to be diverted to deal with the largest mass migration in human history1 numbering in upwards of 17 million people. Therefore, foremost amongst the processes which could not mature fast enough was ‘political expediency’, particularly for Pakistan.
In more specific terms, processes and policies for resource distribution, dispute settlement and conflict resolution had to evolve in real-time for both countries. Under ideal circumstances they should have had well honed institutional covers with an in house knowledge base for tradeoffs , alternatives and projected outcomes. The vacuum of institutional cover was more apparent for Pakistan than India which inherited most of the civil-service and bureaucratic structures from the colonial setup 2. As a result, the initial attempts of the two nations at resolving their disputes remained tactical than strategic, with an overarching policy of stalling on another. Internally, the lack of resources and absence of accountability caused internal imbalance and inequity in the functioning of state institutional apparatus, particularly for Pakistan. This led to insecurities and an institutionalized “attitude of indifference” towards solving the problems at hand.
In the past however, the discovery of large scale malpractices in the automobiles industry, particularly the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal1 , has placed the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality in the centre stage. As a consequence the EPA has commissioned ICCT to conduct studies investigating manufacturers’ practices. While Tesla enjoys tremendous amount of shareholder support and public goodwill, ICCT views that as an opportunity to study challenges faced by Tesla and EV industry as a whole. ICCT’s recommendations are based on the scope of its findings, which generally encompass infringement on the rights of customers and the environment. ICCT believes its recommendations will help the EPA in shaping its regulation and monitoring & evaluation programs for the EV industry as a whole.
The above setting uniquely identifies the post independence India-Pakistan relationship and the impediments to dispute settlement and conflict resolution. In the historical context, the two countries were ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications of a sudden divide and remained conscious of their security-status above everything else. The violent nature of the “partition” caused a number of setbacks to the processes of ‘institutional evolution and adaptation’. From the outset, resources had to be diverted to deal with the largest mass migration in human history1 numbering in upwards of 17 million people. Therefore, foremost amongst the processes which could not mature fast enough was ‘political expediency’, particularly for Pakistan.
In more specific terms, processes and policies for resource distribution, dispute settlement and conflict resolution had to evolve in real-time for both countries. Under ideal circumstances they should have had well honed institutional covers with an in house knowledge base for tradeoffs , alternatives and projected outcomes. The vacuum of institutional cover was more apparent for Pakistan than India which inherited most of the civil-service and bureaucratic structures from the colonial setup 2. As a result, the initial attempts of the two nations at resolving their disputes remained tactical than strategic, with an overarching policy of stalling on another. Internally, the lack of resources and absence of accountability caused internal imbalance and inequity in the functioning of state institutional apparatus, particularly for Pakistan. This led to insecurities and an institutionalized “attitude of indifference” towards solving the problems at hand.