That is, we are seeking your thoughts on policy initiatives the new Obama Administration can take to support environmental protection and/or sustainable energy development in Ukraine.

 

Some ideas, for example, that we are considering include:

 

--increasing exchange programs for Ukrainian students, researchers, business representatives, and government officials interested in studying U.S. environmental policy and sustainable energy experience;

 

--including more information on environmental and energy policy issues on Ukrainian broadcasts sponsored by Voice of America or Radio Free Europe – perhaps including more ideas about what individual persons, businesses, and local communities can do to reduce energy use and costs;

 

--making the new U.S. embassy in Kyiv a model of energy efficiency and renewable energy use which can be toured and studied by Ukrainian architects and builders and students;

 

--assisting Ukrainian government officials to design and implement energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting, buildings, automobiles, industrial processes, and  agriculture based on the best of U.S. experience;

 

--facilitating investments in the Ukrainian marketplace by U.S. environmental, renewable energy, and energy efficiency businesses as well as joint ventures by U.S. and Ukrainian firms working in these fields;

 

 

If you think that you (as either an individual or as an organization), might like to review the letter for possible sign-on, please let us know; we will send the letter to those interested (both Ukrainians and Americans).

 

We hope to mail the letter on December 15.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thank you.

 

Ken Bossong, Co-Director – Ukrainian-American Environmental Association