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Energy and Environment

Emergency Preparedness
commentary
FEMA's Transformation
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Jun 8, 2018
CNN
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) strategic plan shows several shifts in federal disaster relief policy. Redirecting longer-term recovery operations to state and local authorities would allow FEMA to concentrate its assets on the catastrophic disasters it is uniquely designed to handle.
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Public Transportation
commentary
Dockless Bikes Provide Urban Challenges, but China's Experience Shows They Can Work
Julian Glenesk
May 31, 2018
Cambridge Independent
By encouraging more people to cycle, bike-sharing platforms could provide many potential benefits through reduced congestion, reduced air pollution and health benefits. There are, however, challenges related to pressures on existing cycling infrastructure due to the increase in new bikes, and theft and vandalism of the bikes.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Staying Cool—as the Globe Warms
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Apr 23, 2018
Science and Development Network
Studies suggest that the heat of the future will exceed humans' capacity to cope. But taking advantage of smart technology, inexpensive traditional methods of cooling that require little energy use, and innovative energy-efficient technologies could provide a sustainable path forward in heat-challenged regions.
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Environmental Pollution
commentary
Can Dirty-Air Discontent in New Delhi Push India Toward Greener Days?
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Mar 22, 2018
Inside Sources
The dirty downside to India's dramatic economic growth is New Delhi's horrific off-the-charts air pollution, with public health officials comparing the harms of breathing in India's capital to smoking dozens of cigarettes a day. How bad must things get before Indians demand change and make it stick?
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Gaza Strip
commentary
Gaza on the Brink
Shira Efron @ShiraEfron
Mar 9, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
The combined risk of violence and pandemic in Gaza makes this small coastal enclave a ticking time bomb. While neither Israel nor the U.S. has the solutions to all of Gaza's water and health woes, the United States' decision to withhold funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency could only make things worse.
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Infrastructure Finance
commentary
How Federal Policy Could Help Water and Wastewater Utilities
Debra Knopman, David Catt
Jan 16, 2018
Inside Sources
A targeted approach could help the federal government address the root causes of infrastructure problems more effectively than a spending initiative that simply spreads money around with the hope that more spending might do some good.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Moving Countries, Seeking Refuge from Climate Change
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Dec 19, 2017
The Conversation
By the middle of this century, experts estimate that climate change is likely to displace between 150 and 300 million people. It is daunting to envision such large flows of people, but that is why the global community should start doing so now.
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Emergency Services and Response
blog
RAND Researchers Visit Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria
Dec 19, 2017
A small team of RAND researchers went to Puerto Rico two weeks after the island was struck by Hurricane Maria. They are compiling their observations into a series of studies for the Army, with recommendations to smooth its response to future disasters.
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Finance
commentary
Environmental Impact Bonds May Not Bear Fruit for Green Investors
Aaron Strong, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston
Nov 26, 2017
Zilient
Investors may be willing to accept a lower return for socially responsible investments. But environmental impact bonds may not be the best way to leverage these investment possibilities.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
How Hot Is Too Hot? Rising Temperatures and the Workplace
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Nov 16, 2017
Mint
Climate change is here. Future extreme heat waves are a given and will likely grow in intensity, geographic reach, and duration. Plans must be made now to ensure survival of the poorest, to protect outdoor workers, and to adapt economic planning to what is increasingly becoming a hotter planet.
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Community Resilience
commentary
How to Rebuild After This Year's Hurricane Season? Invest in Resilience
Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane
Nov 6, 2017
The RAND Blog
Investing in resilience in an informed and systematic way can help a wide range of high-risk communities be better prepared for any future disasters.
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Terrorism Financing
q&a
Oil, Extortion Still Paying Off for ISIS
Oct 27, 2017
The Cipher Brief
ISIS's oil revenues declined from a peak of $40 million per month in 2015 to $4 million per month as of early October 2017. Despite the massive reduction, it's still a substantial amount of money for a group whose expenditures decrease with the size of the population and territory it controls and decreased recruitment.
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Arctic Region
q&a
Policy Challenges in the Arctic: Q&A with Abbie Tingstad
Oct 6, 2017
Abbie Tingstad discusses how the opening of the Arctic by climate change could strain relationships among Arctic nations, how these changes will affect indigenous communities, and what to make of Russia's military buildup in the region.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
King Salman and Putin Deals Leave the U.S. Out in the Cold
Becca Wasser @Becca_Wasser, Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz
Oct 4, 2017
Newsweek
Riyadh plans to invest in Russian energy assets and possibly arms. The deals will lead to the manufacture of arms in Saudi Arabia and likely the transfer of military technology. These agreements thwart the U.S.- and EU-led sanctions regime and send an important signal to Washington.
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Insurance
commentary
Why Houstonians Didn't Buy Flood Insurance
Lloyd Dixon, Noreen Clancy
Sep 12, 2017
The RAND Blog
Thousands of Houston-area homeowners will face massive, uninsured losses due to flood damage. Few homeowners buy flood insurance unless they are required to, and it's only mandatory for homes with mortgages located in FEMA-defined high-risk flood zones. People tend to ignore low-probability risks.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Rethinking Disaster Evacuation
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein, Andrew Lauland
Sep 11, 2017
Domestic Preparedness Journal
Before a storm hits, officials must decide whether to evacuate the public or advise them to shelter in place. Other, more targeted choices — such as sheltering in safer locations within a city — could be available if an analytic basis for making such judgments were fully developed.
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Energy and Environment

FEMA's Transformation

Dockless Bikes Provide Urban Challenges, but China's Experience Shows They Can Work

Staying Cool—as the Globe Warms

Can Dirty-Air Discontent in New Delhi Push India Toward Greener Days?

Gaza on the Brink

How Federal Policy Could Help Water and Wastewater Utilities

Moving Countries, Seeking Refuge from Climate Change

RAND Researchers Visit Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

Environmental Impact Bonds May Not Bear Fruit for Green Investors

How Hot Is Too Hot? Rising Temperatures and the Workplace

How to Rebuild After This Year's Hurricane Season? Invest in Resilience

Oil, Extortion Still Paying Off for ISIS

Policy Challenges in the Arctic: Q&A with Abbie Tingstad

King Salman and Putin Deals Leave the U.S. Out in the Cold

Why Houstonians Didn't Buy Flood Insurance

Rethinking Disaster Evacuation

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