Keystone Policy Center Update

Dear Friends of Keystone Policy Center,

Keystone is working at the forefront of the most important issues and debates driving our world. From conservation to emerging genetic technologies to the future of food, we are proud of how our team is working to inspire others to reach common higher ground — and we’re not alone.

This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Keystone Leadership Awards and will feature a truly impressive slate of individuals whose work and leadership embody the collaborative spirit at the center of our work and mission. On June 6 we are bringing together several truly spectacular and inspiring leaders from the public, private, and NGO sectors who strive every day to inspire their peers and organizations to reach common higher ground:

  • The Hon. John Bel Edward, Governor of Louisiana
  • Paula Gold-Williams, President and CEO of CPS Energy
  • Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute

Keystone Trustee, Newseum Vice Chair, and veteran newsman Shelby Coffey III will lead the discussion at the Newseum in downtown Washington, D.C. We hope you will join us for this important event and milestone for Keystone.

Visit keystone.org/awards to learn more about this exciting event and how to attend.

Sincerely,

Christine M. Scanlan
President and CEO


Keystone’s Work

CRISPRcon
Emerging genetic technologies, like CRISPR, have the potential to reshape the worlds of food, health, agriculture, conservation, and countless other sectors. They also pose significant questions for society. That’s why Keystone is working through CRISPRcon to broach these issues with a wide-ranging group of experts in science, ethics, and communities from around the world. CRISPRcon is being held June 4-5 in Boston and will feature a keynote address from noted author and journalist Charles Mann and a keynote interview with Feng Zhang from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. Learn more at crisprcon.org.

Next 100 Coalition
More diverse, inclusive management of our public lands is essential to their long-term conservation and success. The Next 100 Coalition, a Keystone project, is working to bring this vision to Capitol Hill and leaders across the United States. The Coalition has recently stepped up its advocacy following recent comments from leaders at the Interior Department. From meeting with leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives to national media outreach, the Coalition is leading this critical dialogue. Learn more at next100coalition.org.

Honey Bee Health Coalition
Keystone has brought together a diverse array of more than four-dozen organizations representing beekeepers, farmers and agri-business, researchers, and consumer brands to improve honey bee health in the context of production agriculture. The Coalition recently announced several exciting, collaborative efforts to improve pollinator health. One is bringing together an international team of 12 scientists to support a $1.1 million effort, funded in part by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, to test new compounds that could help beekeepers more effectively treat Varroa mites. Learn more at https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org.


Keystone’s Leadership

Farm Futures spoke with General Mills Chief Sustainability Officer and Keystone Board Co-chair Jerry Lynch about his company’s innovative work to “unleash the vast capabilities of the agriculture sector” to reduce carbon emissions and sequester carbon in the soil.

The Wall Street Journal highlighted the expertise of TNTP CEO and Keystone Trustee Dan Weisberg following recent teacher’s strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and other states.

Keystone Trustee and former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Ed Gabriel penned a guest opinion piece for The Hill on positive signs for religious freedom in the Middle East.

Salon spoke with Keystone Policy Center’s Kevin Bryan about the Next 100 Coalition’s reaction to comments from U.S. Department of the Interior leadership’s comments disparaging diversity within the agency.

The Los Angeles Times interviewed Keystone Trustee and National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg regarding changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s work and regulatory direction under the current administration.

MIT News highlighted the leadership of Keystone Trustee and MIT Washington Office Director David Goldston in a Q&A about the importance of federal funded research and the latest budget from Congress.