Environmental and Natural Resource Management

Environmental Regulation
commentary
Achieving Decarbonization and Energy Equity Through Reconciliation
Liam Regan, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston
Sep 9, 2021
United Press International
The past two years have witnessed increasingly vocal calls for rapid decarbonization of the global economy through a clean energy transition. How can Congress ensure that new costs associated with a clean energy transition do not fall disproportionately on lower-income ratepayers?
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Wildfires
commentary
Climate Change Is Only One Driver of Explosive Wildfire Season—Don't Forget Land Management
Jim Whittington, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Jay Balagna
Aug 16, 2021
The Hill
The fire seasons that have been scorching huge areas and wiping entire towns from the map appear to be the future. Accepting that wildland fires are a part of our environment and working to live with fires rather than continuously fighting against them may be the most responsible path forward.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
COVID-19 and Climate Change Both Require One Generation to Sacrifice for Another
Michael E. Webber, Constantine Samaras
May 17, 2021
The Hill
COVID-19 and climate change are both global phenomena that left unmanaged will inflict excruciating human and economic tolls. They also require a similar mix of approaches to solve. But they have one more similarity that attracts less attention: they both require one generation to change behavior in support of another.
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Community-Based Participatory Research
commentary
Local Communities Need a Voice in How to 'Build Back Better'
Max Izenberg, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg
Jan 12, 2021
The RAND Blog
Long before it was popularized and made its way into political slogans and economic recovery battle cries, the phrase “building back better” was a central tenet of disaster recovery and community resilience. How should community voices be incorporated into “building back better” processes?
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Wildfires
commentary
Another Record-Breaking Fire Season Shows the Need for a Comprehensive Strategy
Jay Balagna, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg
Nov 6, 2020
United Press International
Year after year, fires across western U.S. states scorch forests, rangeland, and neighborhoods, wreaking havoc on rural economies and pushing smoke into cities. Policymakers should consider a coordinated and comprehensive effort that brings together the best minds in government, communities, and academia.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
COVID-19 and the Economy, America's Blood Supply, 10 Years of the ACA: RAND Weekly Recap
Mar 27, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on COVID-19 and the economy, strengthening the U.S. blood supply, 10 years of the Affordable Care Act, and more.
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Urban Planning
commentary
Green Infrastructure in Los Angeles: An Olympian Feat
Noah Johnson, Karishma V. Patel, Jarrett Catlin
Feb 11, 2020
The RAND Blog
Los Angeles has an opportunity to reinvent itself by harnessing the collective spirit of Olympics development, climate activism, and Measure W funding. No single project can address all LA's environmental needs, but many diverse projects could provide an opportunity for synergies and to create a new “city feel,” the way palm trees, traffic, and movie-touting billboards do now.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
Los Angeles River Revitalization: Taking Inspiration from Near and Far
Keren Zhu, J. Luke Irwin, Stephanie Tanverakul, Timothy R. Gulden
Feb 4, 2020
The RAND Blog
Currently a predominantly concrete channel running through the city, the Los Angeles River has great potential to revitalize Los Angeles's water resources, landscape, and identity. Creating a new vision for the river presents a complex challenge for policymakers, engineers, and urban planners.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
More Than Stormwater: How Green Infrastructure Offers Multiple Benefits for Los Angeles Communities
Joan Chang, Kristin Warren, Jonathan Lamb, Pau Alonso García-Bode
Jan 29, 2020
The RAND Blog
California faces water supply shortages, which are worsened by climate change. Applying a systems framework is essential to addressing complex problems for the sustainability of water resources.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
How to Ensure Quality Drinking Water Service for All? One Option Is Fewer Utilities
David Catt, Michelle E. Miro, Miriam E. Marlier
Mar 26, 2019
The RAND Blog
California's Human Right to Water Bill declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.” One clear barrier to reaching this target is the sheer number of small water utilities that pose service sustainability and public health risks to their customers.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
Lessening Leakages: How Water Systems Can Learn From Smart Electric Grids
Jalal Awan, Michelle E. Miro, Miriam E. Marlier
Mar 22, 2019
The RAND Blog
As drought and population growth place increasing pressure on water supply, the need to save and efficiently manage Southern California's water resources becomes increasingly critical. A single information and communication technology platform could go a long way toward moving water utilities from reactive to proactive maintenance practices.
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Water Supply
commentary
Increasing Groundwater Reliance in L.A. County Means Dealing with Extensive Contamination
Alexandra Huttinger, Michelle E. Miro, Miriam E. Marlier
Mar 12, 2019
The RAND Blog
As the Los Angeles region increases its reliance on groundwater sources to become more resilient in the face of drought and to reduce demand for imported water sources, advances in the information available on groundwater quality and contamination could help community water systems avoid health hazards and better ensure a safe drinking water supply.
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Global Climate Change
essay
Resilience and Adaptation Strategies Can Address the Impacts of Climate Change
Feb 26, 2019
With climate change already generating storms, heat waves, and droughts beyond historical norms, local governments need to do more to prepare. A decisionmaking framework developed by RAND allows communities to stress-test ideas, weigh the trade-offs, and plan for a range of possible futures.
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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
Another Casualty of Climate Change: Peace
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Aug 15, 2017
Project Syndicate
The connection between human conflict and climate change is no mere coincidence. Drought, temperature and tensions rise in tandem, with the implicit threat of violent conflict not far behind.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
How Should Water Professionals Invest in Resilience?
Jordan R. Fischbach
Jul 12, 2017
The Source
Water professionals can think about building resilience as a process of embracing and managing future uncertainty. Rather than trying to predict which problem to plan for, researchers help planners consider a wide range of potential scenarios.
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Water Supply
commentary
Getting the Lead Out of Pittsburgh's Water
Jordan R. Fischbach, Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay
Jul 3, 2017
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Without an aggressive long-term strategy for replacing service lines, and collaboration among the water authority, public officials, and residents, lead in Pittsburgh's water will persist.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
The Big Bet: Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement
Debra Knopman, Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Jordan R. Fischbach, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston
Jun 2, 2017
Inside Sources
America's formal withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. global leadership on many issues, not just on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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San Francisco
announcement
RAND Opens Office in the San Francisco Bay Area
Apr 3, 2017
RAND has opened an office in the San Francisco Bay Area to foster collaboration with the region's leaders and researchers working to solve today's complex problems. Nidhi Kalra, a senior information scientist, is leading the new office.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
Ensuring Robust Water Management Strategies in Lima-Callão, Peru
Laura Bonzanigo, Nidhi Kalra, David G. Groves, Carter Brandon
Nov 16, 2015
The World Bank Water Blog
Water resource agencies around the world are grappling with how to make smart investments to ensure long-term water reliability at a time of unprecedented water stress, growing demands, uncertain climate change, and limited budgets.
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Public Utilities
commentary
What Durban Can Teach Detroit: Getting Customers to Pay Their Water Bills
Julia Pollak
Jul 29, 2015
The RAND Blog
South Africa is proving that governments in poor cities can provide water and collect payment without turning off the water spigot. Detroit and Baltimore might consider exploring models like this that have been successfully tested in even more challenging settings.
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Global Climate Change
announcement
RAND Announces New Water and Climate Change Resilience Center
Jan 6, 2015
RAND has established a new Water and Climate Resilience Center to address one of the most significant policy challenges of our time: How do we plan, build, and organize our societal systems to become more resilient to the unavoidable impacts of climate change?
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Developing Countries
commentary
In South Africa, Bold Investments Turn Trash into Treasure
Julia Pollak
Dec 3, 2014
The RAND Blog
South Africa’s landfills are reportedly rapidly reaching capacity—as are those in many developing countries. Surveys show that only about 3 percent of urban South Africans sort and recycle their household waste frequently. Until recycling becomes more widespread, the nation will have to keep building landfills.
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Developing Countries
commentary
Climate Change, Uncertainty Cast Clouds on Malawi's Food Policies
Tobi A. Oluwatola
May 20, 2014
The RAND Blog
Malawi has the highest per capita maize consumption in Africa, but it may need to consider alternatives, taking into greater consideration weather, climate change and water needs.
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Nuclear Sciences
commentary
San Onofre Risk Factors
Tom LaTourrette
Jun 20, 2013
The Orange County Register
The ongoing effort to open a spent fuel repository in the U.S. demonstrates the magnitude of the technical and political challenges of such an undertaking, writes Tom LaTourrette.
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Water Supply
blog
New Colorado River Basin Study Examines Tremendous Challenges of the Coming 50 Years
David G. Groves, Jordan R. Fischbach, Evan Bloom
Dec 18, 2012
Growing water needs combined with uncertain but possibly deteriorating future hydrologic conditions could stress the Colorado River system in the coming 50 years.
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Community Resilience
commentary
What Louisiana Can Teach New York and New Jersey
Debra Knopman, Jordan R. Fischbach, David G. Groves
Nov 8, 2012
CNN
The massive damage and disruption caused by “Super Storm” Sandy has created a rare moment when New York City, New Jersey and surrounding areas are singularly focused on the infrastructure they need in a changing environment – not just the infrastructure they already have thanks to the vision and investments of past generations.
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Environmental Sustainability
blog
Bringing Sustainability to the Louisiana Coast
David G. Groves
Jun 7, 2012
Policy Researcher David Groves describes RAND's role in helping to develop a plan to guide Louisiana's coastal investments, help its coastal citizens plan for the future, and create a sustainable coast.
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Military Budgets and Defense Spending
commentary
DoD Renewable Fuels Investment Premature
Keith Crane
May 24, 2012
National Journal
Technological development challenges suggest that it is highly unlikely that advanced approaches for producing hydrotreated renewable oils suitable for military applications will constitute an important fraction of the commercial fuel market until well beyond the next decade, writes Keith Crane.
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Environmental and Natural Resource Management
blog
Earth Day and RAND
Apr 20, 2012
As people around the world prepare for the 42nd annual Earth Day this Sunday, we look back at some of the recent research from RAND's Environment, Energy, and Economic Development program.
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commentary
Grab Vital Habitat Now: How Riverside County Can Step Up Conservation While Land Prices Are Down
Lloyd Dixon
Dec 1, 2008
The Press-Enterprise
The economic slowdown threatens to put a crimp in ambitious efforts to balance preservation, transportation improvements and development in western Riverside County. It doesn't have to. Actually, it presents an opportunity, writes Lloyd Dixon.
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