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RAND energy and environmental analyses examine the implications of existing and proposed energy policies on the environment. Building on a long history of policy research, RAND helps balance the need for environmental protections and economic development.

Report

What Are the Geopolitical Risks of Geoengineering?

May 25, 2021

Geoengineering is the intentional manipulation of an environmental process on Earth to counteract the effects of climate change. Geoengineering implementation could introduce geopolitical risks. This raises the question of whether existing international governance mechanisms can manage these risks.
Commentary

Micromobility: How Will We Know When It's Working?

May 18, 2021

Micromobility was positioned as a solution for every urban problem from traffic congestion to air pollution to transit deserts and inequality. Is there a way to know if micromobility can fulfill these ambitious goals?

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Explore Energy and Environment

Tool

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Spring 2021

This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about spring 2021, regional climate trends, and the upcoming summer season. A tool shows flooding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under historic and future climate.

Jun 21, 2021
Commentary

Depoliticizing Russian Gas in Europe

At their June 16 Summit in Geneva, Presidents Biden and Putin might consider how to reduce the sharp tensions over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Cooperation among governments and companies may offer potential.

Jun 11, 2021
Multimedia

Expert Insights: Crisis Response in a Changing Climate

In this audio conversation, Senior Analyst Lucia Retter is joined by Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, the non-executive director for climate change and sustainability for UK Defence, to discuss a study on the implications of climate change for UK defence logistics in crisis response situations.

Jun 4, 2021
Blog

Reopening the U.S. Economy, Geoengineering, 5G: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the potential effects of reopening the economy before the White House's vaccination goal is met, students' learning experiences during the pandemic, competition in the 5G era, and more.

May 28, 2021
Journal Article

The Impact of Black Carbon Emissions from Projected Arctic Shipping on Regional Ice Transport

Diverting shipping emissions from the Suez Canal to the Arctic will influence regional evolution of sea ice cover with regional differences in future sea ice retreat. These results are likely to have policy implications with expansion of industrial activities into the Arctic.

May 26, 2021
Commentary

Is DarkSide Really Sorry? Is It Even DarkSide?

The U.S. military relies heavily on commercial energy assets, making the implications of events like the Colonial Pipeline outage more serious than just higher prices at the gas pump. The origins and severity of an attack dictate what the United States might do in response.

May 19, 2021
Commentary

Blinken's Arctic Opportunities

Continued positive U.S. engagement in the Arctic Council could be important for balancing the influence of Russia and China, and in moving toward the Biden administration's climate change goals. Washington's new priority on climate change could be an issue that will now bind, rather than divide, Arctic states.

May 19, 2021
Commentary

COVID-19 and Climate Change Both Require One Generation to Sacrifice for Another

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.

May 17, 2021
Report

Crisis Response in a Changing Climate: Implications of Climate Change for UK Defence Logistics in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) Operations

This study identifies the implications of climate change for defence logistics in crisis response operations. It identifies challenges to, and policy options for better delivery of, crisis response.

May 4, 2021
Report

Defence Mobilisation Planning Comparative Study: An Examination of Overseas Planning

Against the 2020 Defence Strategic Update, the authors use evidence from several countries to highlight the merits of a 'total defence' approach to mobilisation planning for Australia with the goal of meeting contemporary threats.

May 3, 2021
Journal Article

A Framework for Complex Climate Change Risk Assessment

In this perspective, we present a framework for three categories of increasingly complex climate change risk that focus on interactions among the multiple drivers of risk, as well as among multiple risks.

Apr 28, 2021
Journal Article

Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Community Engagement and Data Collection Strategies in Post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico

This paper examines community engagement and data collection strategies conducted in post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico, to assess how outreach approaches elicit different perceptions about disaster recovery and to identify best practices.

Apr 27, 2021
Q&A

Disaster Recovery in Puerto Rico: Q&A with Marielena Lara

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, it peeled roofs from houses, turned roads into rivers, and left millions of people without electricity or safe drinking water. Marielena Lara, a senior physician policy researcher at RAND, was grateful to be part of the recovery planning.

Apr 26, 2021
Multimedia

Successes in the Fight Against Climate Change

RAND senior policy researcher Benjamin Preston presents several climate change successes from recent years.

Apr 22, 2021
Commentary

'Joe-Yoshi' Spirit Buoys Japan-U.S. Alliance in Turbulent Seas

President Biden and Prime Minister Suga appear to have established a warm, personal rapport while communicating a clear vision of the importance of working together to end the pandemic, combat climate change, preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific, and defend democracy.

Apr 20, 2021
Commentary

China Does Not Have to Be America's Enemy in the Middle East

China and Iran made a deal in which China promised to boost its investment in Iranian infrastructure in exchange for a steady supply of oil. This uptick in Chinese influence does not necessarily erode U.S. power in the region. The United States may even find overlapping interests with China since both have a stake in containing conflicts and instability.

Apr 19, 2021
Commentary

Loose-Fit Infrastructure Can Better Account for Climate Change

As climate change accelerates there is a growing disconnect between what our infrastructure systems can do and what we need them to do. Policymakers should view infrastructure investments as not simply hardware fixes and upgrades, but as efforts to close this gap.

Apr 8, 2021
Commentary

Now Is (Finally) the Time to Future-Proof Our Infrastructure

The world is barreling toward a more volatile climate with infrastructure designed for the past. With infrastructure widely expected to be prioritized in Congress soon, every infrastructure bill is also a climate bill. It is critical that we make our infrastructure climate-safe.

Apr 1, 2021

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Christopher G. Pernin

Director, Engineering and Applied Sciences Department & Senior Physical Scientist

Chris Pernin (he/him) is a senior physical scientist and director of the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department at the RAND Corporation. Since joining RAND in 1999, Pernin has been involved with or led a wide range of national security and domestic research projects on decisionmaking,…
Gary Cecchine

Director, RAND Gulf States Policy Institute

Gary Cecchine is director of the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute and a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. He leads and conducts technical and policy research in a range of areas, including energy and environmental policy, coastal protection, emergency preparedness and response,…

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