May 17 "Biofuel Production" Webinar Recording Now Available
The recording from last month’s May 17 webinar, Biofuel Production: Dissecting the Water-Energy-Land Nexus, is now available on The Horinko Group’s website.

This third installment in The Horinko Group’s 2012 free webinar series featured moderator Noel Gollehon, Senior Economist at USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, as he led a panel of experts through the examination of biofuel production implications on our nation’s land, water, and energy supplies.

To watch the full recording or to download a PDF of the presentations, visit http://bit.ly/THGMay2012Webinar.

2012 Oklahoma Brownfields Conference Recordings Now Online
Audio and visual recordings from the May 2012 Oklahoma Brownfields Conference have been made available on the Oklahoma DEQ website. Marianne Horinko, President of The Horinko Group, participated on the conference’s opening panel entitled, Rethinking Renewable Energy on Brownfield Sites on May 22. On May 23, she delivered the Keynote Address discussing the evolution of Brownfields redevelopment and opportunities for future growth and innovation.

A recording of the panel session will be made available soon on the Oklahoma DEQ's website. For more information about the conference and to watch a recording of the keynote address, visit http://bit.ly/THGOKeynote.

Study Supports Nutrient Credit Trading for the Chesapeake Bay
In May, RTI International, a respected economic think-tank based in North Carolina, released its study on the Chesapeake Bay and the economic and environmental impacts of nutrients.  The report studied the economic viability of nutrient credit trading, finding that implementing a nutrient credit trading strategy could save 20 to 80 percent of the costs of restoration in the bay.  RTI presented the report to the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which defines nutrient trading as “a system that enables one pollution source to meet its pollution reduction goals by purchasing those reductions (credits) from another source.”

For more information and to download a PDF copy of the report, visit RTI’s website at
http://www.rti.org/publications/abstract.cfm?pid=18887.

Oil Shale Development in Western U.S. Poses Significant Risk to Investors
Citing technological uncertainties and a wide range of other risks, a new Ceres white paper supports a federal agency’s proposal to take a cautious approach to oil shale production in the western U.S.

At issue is the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to focus oil shale production in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado on “Research, Development, and Demonstration” leases only and to reduce the available acreage to about 500,000 acres from nearly two million acres under an earlier plan.

“Given the wide array of uncertainties, BLM’s proposed leasing approach on oil shale makes sense,” said Ceres president Mindy Lubber, citing regulatory risks, water constraints and numerous other questions about various technologies being pursued to extract a non-liquid form of oil from shale rock. “Investors should be similarly cautious in evaluating future investment in this space.”

While oil shale reserves beneath the three states in the Green River Formation are vast, holding more than three times the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia, the Ceres white paper, Investor Risks from Oil Shale Development, sends a strong cautionary message to policymakers, investors and companies alike.

To access the full report, please visit — http://bit.ly/CERESshalerisk.

Companies Urged to Disclose Climate Threats to Bottom Line
Climate change has already started to cause a wide range of physical effects with serious implications for investors and businesses. A newly released guide from Oxfam America, Calvert Investments, and Ceres focuses on climate threats to the bottom line of companies operating within the agriculture, food and beverage, apparel, electric power, insurance, mining, oil and gas, and tourism sectors, all highly vulnerable to climate impacts.  The guide provides detailed checklists that companies should use to assess, manage and disclose physical risks they face from climate change.

To download a PDF of the full report, visit http://bit.ly/PRfCC.

June 2012 Environmental Speaker Series Luncheon
June 20, 2012 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT | Washington, DC
This month's luncheon features Betsy Southerland, Director of the U.S. EPA’s Office of Science & Technology (OST), part of the Agency’s Office of Water, who will discuss lessons learned from her years running the Superfund program as well as trending issues and the Agency’s current priorities for water, science, and technology.

Seats are filling up quickly, so be sure to RSVP soon by contacting Isaac Chapman at ichapman@thehorinkogroup.org.

July 2012 Environmental Speaker Series Luncheon Speaker — Part 1
July 12, 2012 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT | Washington, DC
The Horinko Group invites you to join us for the first luncheon installment in our July Environmental Speaker Series, taking place on Thursday, July 12 from 12:00-1:30pm featuring Andrew Manar, Senior Advisor for Public and Private Partnerships at The Horinko Group.  Mr. Manar will discuss challenges faced by local governments for water development projects and how to better promote innovative and workable solutions.

To RSVP to attend and/or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Isaac Chapman at ichapman@thehorinkogroup.org and reference the July 12 luncheon. 

July 2012 Environmental Speaker Series Luncheon Speaker — Part 2
July 18, 2012 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM EDT | Washington, DC
The Horinko Group is pleased to announce the second luncheon installment in its Environmental Speaker Series scheduled for Wednesday, July 18 from 12:00-1:30pm at The Horinko Group offices.

This luncheon will feature David White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Mr. White will discuss developments with the 2012 Farm Bill as well as current priorities for NRCS.

To attend and/or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Isaac Chapman at ichapman@thehorinkogroup.org and reference the July 18 luncheon. 

You're Invited — Wine To Water Reception
June 28, 2012 | Washington, DC | RSVP
Wine To Water invites you to an upcoming June 28 reception at the offices of Clark Hill PLC.   The complimentary event will honor the efforts of Wine To Water and the organization’s founder Doc Hendley. 

Wine To Water is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aid organization focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world. Nearly 1 billion people in the world today lack access to adequate water and 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, which is why Wine To Water is devoted to fighting this epidemic. Wine symbolizes fortune in our society. Wine To Water’s goal is to give the fortunate population an opportunity to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.

For more information about this event and to RSVP, download the invitation at http://bit.ly/WTWJune28DC.

Save the Date — The Big Deal Brownfield Conference
October 3 — 4, 2012 | Chicago, IL | Save the Date | Registration
Mark your calendars for this year's National Brownfield Association Conference The Big Deal - Rebuilding your Brownfield Network held on October 3-4 in Chicago, Illinois.  The Horinko Group’s President Marianne Horinko will serve as a panelist to discuss Brownfield trends and policies.

The National Brownfield Association’s flagship summit is where market makers come to share their experiences and exchange ideas.  The conference includes panels and sessions where experts provide timely information on real estate development and Brownfield redevelopment trends. 

For more information and to register for the conference, visit the National Brownfield Association’s events page at http://www.brownfieldassociation.org/Events.aspx.

Attracting Private Capital to Water Infrastructure through P3s
This month’s In the Spotlight, continues the dialogue started at The Horinko Group's April 30 Executive Salon entitled Financing Water Infrastructure through Public Private Partnerships - Finding the Right Model. The gathering explored how public-private partnerships (P3) may help finance the massive improvements to our nation's aging water infrastructure. In his article, The Horinko Group's Financial Director, Sean McGinnis, takes a closer look at P3 alternatives including the concession lease model, the concept of a water infrastrucutre fund, and lessons learned from his recent participation in EPA's first Technology Market Summit.

Stay tuned to next month's newsletter for the release of the April 30 Executive Salon Proceedings to be released.

To read this special edition of “In the Spotlight,” visit http://bit.ly/THGJune2012Spotlight.

Excerpt From: “Clean Technology Depends On Rare Earth Elements”
By: Roger Ballentine, President, Green Strategies
Despite the sharply divided political rhetoric in Washington about the importance of clean technology to our economic and environmental challenges, outside the beltway there is a strong consensus among governments, the corporate sector, and financiers that clean energy and clean technology will drive economic growth. Yet even those of us who share that optimism about “clean tech” must acknowledge that this sector faces challenges. Well-funded incumbent industries and challenging financing hurdles are certainly drags on growth. But another potential pitfall is one that has gotten relatively little attention.

To read the remainder of the featured column, visit http://bit.ly/THGJune2012FC.

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The Horinko Group is an environmental consulting firm operating at the intersection of science, policy, and communication. The Horinko Group has become a leader in designing and applying innovative solutions to address our nation’s most pressing environmental challenges. We bring together disparate groups of stakeholders and facilitate the collaboration critical to ensure efforts are cost-effective and sustainable.

For the latest updates on the environmental issues you care about, visit us online at www.thgadvisors.org.

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