Contents:

1. A Human Rights and Poverty Review: EU Action in Addressing Caste-based Discrimination - Study for the European Parliament
2. Ecological and Health-related Indicators in the Benchmarking of Drinking Water Utilities - Publication
3. Agriculture and Food Security in Mongolia - Publication
4. How Much Will I Get Charged for This? Patient Charges for Top Ten Diagnoses in the Emergency Department - Publication
5. A Day in the Life of a Bay Area Environmental Think Tank - Interview
6. Members of Congress Discuss German Energiewende - Presentation
7. Towards an Optimal EU Climate Policy - Event
8. EU Research Project on Environmental Crime - Launch Event
9. Small-scale Solutions for Eco-friendly Youth Villages in Israel - Event
10. Ecologic Institute Seeks an Assistant for the Events Team - Opportunity

1. A Human Rights and Poverty Review: EU Action in Addressing Caste-based Discrimination - Study for the European Parliament

   Caste-based discrimination is a serious human rights violation negatively affecting the political, economic, social, cultural, and civil rights of approximately 260 million people worldwide. This briefing by Susanne Langsdorf (Ecologic Institute) for the European Parliament aims to assess to what extent the EU has integrated the fight against caste-based discrimination in its external relations. Light is shed on the specific situations in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Yemen and the European Union's actions to address caste-based discrimination in these countries. Based on the analysis, the briefing elaborates recommendations on how the EU can mainstream the fight against caste-based discrimination into policies, strategies and programmes as well as dialogues with countries with caste systems. The briefing is available for download.
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2. Ecological and Health-related Indicators in the Benchmarking of Drinking Water Utilities - Publication

   This study investigates the importance ascribed to the actions taken by water providers to ensure the protection of water bodies and human health in current benchmarking approaches of drinking water utilities. New indicators to improve the representation of these services are also suggested. Additionally, light is shed upon the risks these measures may face should centralized economic regulation, such as that currently implemented in England and Wales, be introduced. Finally, the study summarizes the possible role benchmarking approaches can play in price oversight as well as in creating a transparent presentation of the actions taken to ensure the protection of water bodies and human health. The results of the study are available for download.
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3. Agriculture and Food Security in Mongolia - Publication

   Although Mongolia's GDP has grown consistently in recent years due to the booming mining sector, poverty is still widespread. This article aims to determine the extent to which agriculture contributes to food security in Mongolia and highlights the problems and challenges this sector is facing. In this article, published in the Geographische Rundschau, the authors Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute), Ankhtuya Altangadas, and Jörg Janzen answer these questions.
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4. How Much Will I Get Charged for This? Patient Charges for Top Ten Diagnoses in the Emergency Department - Publication

   The study examined the charges levied on patients for the diagnosis and treatment of the ten most common outpatient conditions handled in the emergency department (ED). The results of research undertaken by scientists and faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, and Ecologic Institute have been published in the scientific journal PLoS One. Based on a cross-sectional study of the 2006–2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the analysis was limited to outpatient visits with non-elderly, adult (years 18–64) patients with a single discharge diagnosis. A sample of 8,303 ED encounters was analyzed, which is representative of a total of 76.6 million ED visits during the studied 3-year period. It was found that charges varied significantly by diagnosis and across EDs for the same diagnosis. The study is available for download.
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5. A Day in the Life of a Bay Area Environmental Think Tank - Interview

   On 28 February 2013, Green Grid Radio returned to a local focus with a broadcast titled "A Day in the Life of a Bay Area Environmental Think Tank," which featured Dr. Tanja Srebotnjak, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute. She spoke about the San Mateo office's recent work in the Bay Area and more broadly about the role a think tank such as Ecologic Institute can play in European and US environmental policy making. She highlighted that local sustainability measurement is just as important as larger, national efforts and that cities and counties in the Bay Area are engaged in a growing number of initiatives and partnerships with non-profit organizations and businesses to advance sustainability in the county and the Bay Area. The interview is available online.
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6. Members of the US Congress Discuss German "Energiewende" - Presentation

   As part of the tenth annual "Congress-Bundestag Forum," members of the U.S. House of Representatives visited Germany to discuss various aspects of international politics. The tour included a discussion on energy policy and its recent developments. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute reported on the history, current status and prospects of the German "Energiewende".
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7. Towards an Optimal EU Climate Policy - Event

   As its first outreach activity, the research project CECILIA2050 staged a stakeholder workshop on future directions for EU climate policies on 20 February 2013. Sixty researchers, EU officials, and NGO and Member State representatives came to Brussels to discuss the path to an optimal 2050 EU climate policy mix. Initial results from country case studies (Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK) were presented. A panel of five distinguished experts discussed current trends in EU climate policy. The presentations are available for download.
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8. EU Research Project on Environmental Crime - Launch Event

   The EU-funded research project "European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime" (EFFACE) held its launch event from 23 to 25 January 2013 in Brussels. The meeting was organized by Ecologic Institute, coordinator of the research project, and the Institute for Environmental Security (IES).
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9. Small-scale Solutions for Eco-friendly Youth Villages in Israel - Event

   The vision of establishing agricultural youth villages in an eco-friendly way brought managing representatives from two Israeli youth villages, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Volcano Institute, to Berlin, Potsdam, and Müncheberg. From 13 to 17 January 2013, the visitors explored applicable small-scale methods for the treatment and use of greywater, the production of energy from plant material, composting and application techniques, as well as the minimization of odors and air pollution in animal husbandry.
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10. Ecologic Institute Seeks an Assistant for the Events Team - Opportunity

    Ecologic Institute is currently seeking for new staff and is offering the position of an Assistant in the Events Team (m/f). The application deadline ends on the 21 March 2013. For more information regarding the requirements and the necessary application documents, please visit our website. Please apply online.
    http://ecologic.eu/opportunities