Cornell bug experts warn Capitol Hill of bed bug and mosquito invasions
Bed bugs and mosquitoes are threats to human, animal and livestock health. On July 12, 2011, Cornell entomologists Judy Gangloff-Kaufmann and Laura Harrington briefed legislators on the latest research into these two common insects, which are spreading discomfort and disease at alarming rates. Gangloff-Kaufmann, an internationally known bed bug expert who is on the front line of the battle for control in New York City and elsewhere, discussed strategies to combat these pests. Harrington talked about mosquito-transmitted diseases in the US, including the West Nile virus, Dengue fever virus, encephalitis viruses and dog heartworm and the Chikungunya virus. 

Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes, policy briefing hand out (PDF)

Invasive Mosquitoes & Mosquito-borne Disease in the US, presentation by Laura Harrington (PDF)

Bed bugs in 2011 - A Growing Concern, presentation by Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann (PDF)

Policy Briefing on Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes, video

Mosquitoes Increase Disease Risk in USA, USA TODAY
       

Cornell Experts brief congressional staff on impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies   
On September 24, 2010, Cornell sociologists Max Pfeffer and Pilar Parra discussed the unintended consequences of national immigration policies and how local communities are addressing immigration. More immigrants live in the United States today than at any time since 1910. Almost one-third of these immigrants entered the country without government authorization, most often to seek work. Using case studies, recent trends and statistics Parra and Pfeffer illustrated that immigration control alone can't work. They advocate for a comprehensive approach that includes support for community development to accommodate immigrants and help them become an asset rather than a burden.

Impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies, policy briefing handout (PDF)

Impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies, presentation by Max Pfeffer, Pilar Parra (PDF)

Immigrants and the Community - Community Perspectives (PDF)

Immigrants and the Community - Former Farmworlkers (PDF)

Immigrants and the Community - Farmworkers with Families (PDF)

Immigrants and the Community (PDF)
   

Carbon Sequestration Practices – Using Geological Formations and Developing Biochar
Cornell Professors Johannes Lehmann and Teresa Jordan discussed state-of-the-art carbon sequestration practices in climate mitigation strategies with legislative staff from the House and Senate on July 13. One of the world's authorities on biochar, Professor Lehmann discussed how heating biomass creates renewable energy and a charcoal co-product, biochar, which captures carbon and when applied to soils, improves crop performance. Professor Jordan's groundbreaking team in the Northeast focuses on geologic sequestration, a process injecting carbon dioxide underground for long-term storage.

Geologic Carbon Sequestration and Biochar Fact Sheet (PDF)

Biochar Systems as a Tool for Climate Change Mitigation, presentation by Johannes Lehmann (PDF)

Geological CO₂ Sequestration, presentation by Teresa Jordan (PDF)

Biochar Research by Johannes Lehmann

Teresa Jordan, Homepage
    

Professors brief Capitol Hill on impacts of Natural Gas Extractions Using Horizontal Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing
Vast amounts of natural gas are encased in the Marcellus shale, a tightly packed geologic formation extending across much of southern New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Extracting the gas requires fracturing the shale and inserting large volumes of high-pressure water mixed with various chemicals. Susan J. Riha, professor in Cornell’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, and director of New York’s State Water Resources Institute, and Rod Howe, Cornell’s Cooperative Extension’s Assistant Director of Community and Economic Vitality and executive director of the Community and Rural Development Institute discussed this process and its potential environmental, community and economic impacts at a congressional briefing on February 22, 2010.

Natural Gas Drilling: Potential Environmental & Community Impacts (PDF)

Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Development, presentation by Susan Riha (PDF)

Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Development: Community & Economic Development, presentation by Rod Howe (PDF)

The Marcellus Shale and Natural Gas, (PDF)

Emerging Trends in the Marcellus Shale (PDF)
  

Agriculture and Climate Change: Challenges and Options in Offset Programs
In meeting the greenhouse gas emission targets of tomorrow, the United States should turn to its farms today. David Wolfe, Cornell professor of horticulture and Antonio Bento, Cornell professor of applied economics and management, propose solutions to problematic policy issues associated with agriculture and forestry in carbon offset programs.

Creating a Role for Agriculture and Forestry in Emerging Carbon Markets, white paper (PDF)

The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Emerging Carbon Markets, presentation by David Wolfe (PDF)
  

Strengthening the Safety of the Food Supply: Challenges and Opportunities
A commercial cheeseburger contains up to 100 ingredients, so opportunities abound throughout the food chain for mistakes that could lead to foodborne illnesses, Cornell Professor Robert Gravani told Congressional staff members June 15, 2009. However, errors could be significantly reduced with improved protocols, he said. Just days before a U.S. House committee voted to expand the Food and Drug Administration's power to monitor the nation's food supply, Gravani and colleague Kathryn Boor briefed about 45 Congressional staffers on the science of food safety at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Strengthening the safety of the food supply, presentation by Kathryn Boor (PDF)

Food safety research

Milk Quality Improvement Program 

Agriculture and Natural Resources in a Changing Climate: Tools for Adaptation
Professors David Wolfe and Art DeGaetano delivered the series’ first presentation, “Agricultural and Natural Resources in a Changing Climate: Tools for Adaptation” in March, 2009, as Congress considered comprehensive legislation addressing climate change.
“The old way of doing business where we looked to the past as a guide to the future is failing,” DeGaetano told an audience of nearly 50 staffers from Congress, the executive branch, and administrative agencies.

The Cornell climate change website