Stephen Handler

Stephen Handler is a project developer with ClearSky Climate Solutions in Missoula, Montana. He visited Cornell during 8th block, speaking in both Professor Steven Hemelt's POL 282 Public Policy course and in the ENV 101 Environmental Perspectives course taught by Professors A'amer Farooqi and Rhawn Denniston of the Geology Department.  In between these courses, Handler participated in a Lunch and Learn with students interested in environmental policy.

While in Hemelt's course, he provided an overview of two types of policies aimed at controlling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions: (1) carbon taxes; and (2) cap and trade systems. He then discussed a few examples of initiatives he’s worked on at ClearSky related to developing local markets for trading pollution allowances.

Handler’s expertise includes green house gas (GHG) emissions reduction project development, GHG consulting and assessment, carbon offset brokering, arid-zone riparian forest restoration, restoration of endangered species habitat, invasive species removal, and vegetation mapping and monitoring. Handler has worked with federal and non-governmental organizations in the United States and Mexico, as well as local community groups and universities.

Handler completed his MS at the University of Montana in 2007, focusing on Resource Conservation with a special emphasis in International Conservation and Development. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College.