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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.

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Measuring Greenhouse Gases in Los Angeles County

Nov 30, 2021

Los Angeles, once the U.S. capital of smog and sprawl, has vowed to lead the nation into a cleaner, greener future by stamping out carbon pollution. A small array of sensors installed on the roof of RAND's Santa Monica headquarters could help it get there.
Report

Addressing Climate Migration

Dec 7, 2021

As the effects of climate change increase in scope and severity, more people will relocate to preserve or enhance their lives and livelihoods. A review of how six countries are managing climate mobility provides options for policymakers considering the needs of climate migrants and their host communities.

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Blog

Addressing Anti-Asian Racism, Stabilizing U.S. Rivalries, the Debt-Ceiling Fight: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on countering anti-Asian racism, the instability of U.S. rivalries with Russia and China, the rise in extremist online activity, and more.

Dec 3, 2021
Commentary

More Than Green: Leveraging Green Bonds to Invest in Greater Climate Resilience

The significance of green bonds may depend not only on having a lot of them but also on carefully developing, investing, and tracking projects against the larger goal of climate resilience.

Nov 24, 2021
Commentary

The Growing Green Bond Market Could Plateau. How Can It Grow Further?

If green bonds are a viable tool to reduce emissions and adapt infrastructure to the effects of climate change, how can governments encourage the issuance, sales, and growth in the share of green bonds in the total bond market?

Nov 23, 2021
Journal Article

Overview of the Jack Rabbit II (JR II) Field Experiments and Summary of the Methods Used in the Dispersion Model Comparisons

This paper summarizes the Jack Rabbit II chlorine release trials conducted at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground in 2015 and 2016 and provides on overview of comparisons of 17 widely used dense-gas dispersion models using the JR II data.

Nov 23, 2021
Commentary

Green Bonds Can Leave Issuers in the Red

To achieve the Biden administration's blueprint for solar energy and focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, green bonds may be worth considering. But, like any other financing instrument, they may be best considered through a cost-benefit lens.

Nov 22, 2021
Journal Article

Lessons from Harvey: Improving Traditional Damage Estimates with Social Media Sourced Damage Estimates

Social media systems were incredibly active during disasters. Traditional sources such as the initial FEMA damage estimates can miss areas of heavy impact. This study provides a novel use case in crisis informatics.

Nov 16, 2021
Journal Article

Run Uphill for a Tsunami, Downhill for a Landslide

Following fatal landslides, the town of Sitka, Alaska, worked with scientists to create a new, individualized hazard warning system, revealing the complexities of coproducing knowledge.

Nov 12, 2021
Blog

North Korea, Sexual Violence in the U.S. Military, America's Labor Shortage: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on dealing with a nuclear North Korea, preventing sexual violence in the military, supporting immigrant children in U.S. schools, and more.

Nov 5, 2021
Journal Article

The Role of Mobility Data Hubs in an Integrated Decarbonized Transportation Future

This paper identifies key players and data architectures emerging in a service-based mobility market, explores use cases where data hubs have enabled greater outcomes, and discusses key issues that need to be resolved to leverage emerging hubs towards a sustainable future.

Nov 5, 2021
Journal Article

Measuring Global Climate Risk

Risks generated by climate change are growing and a strong international response is needed to contain and reduce them.

Oct 28, 2021
Multimedia

Disaster Mitigation and Recovery: Preparing Communities Through Planning

RAND senior social and behavioral scientist Melissa Finucane discusses disaster planning, the importance of addressing the impacts of multiple overlapping disasters, and what equity in disaster planning means.

Oct 22, 2021
Report

Enhancing Defence's Contribution to Societal Resilience in the UK: Lessons from International Approaches

This study sought to understand other nations' approaches to societal resilience to enhance UK resilience. The study defined societal resilience and its importance, analysed other countries' practices, and identified lessons relevant to UK Defence.

Oct 21, 2021
Journal Article

Disaster Risk Creation and Cascading Disasters Within Large Technological Systems: COVID-19 and the 2021 Texas Blackouts

Here we describe the 2021 Texas blackouts during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of disaster risk creation and cascading disaster, showing how risk emerges and propagates across large technological systems.

Oct 15, 2021
Tool

Citizen Science for Disasters: A Guide for Community Groups

This toolkit provides guidance to community groups on engaging with disaster citizen science to support public health preparedness.

Sep 29, 2021
Tool

Citizen Science for Disasters: A Guide for Local Health Departments

This toolkit provides guidance to local health departments on engaging with disaster citizen science to support public health preparedness.

Sep 29, 2021
Journal Article

When Disaster Management Agencies Create Disaster Risk: A Case Study of the US's Federal Emergency Management Agency

This study is the first to examine disaster risk creation from an organizational perspective, and the first to focus explicitly on how disaster management agencies can shape risk creation.

Sep 28, 2021
Visualization

Potential Drivers of Crises in the Arctic

Historically in the Arctic, regional tensions have been resolved before turning into major crises. With the Arctic gaining more attention in recent years, are existing governance mechanisms enough to handle future diplomatic challenges?

Sep 22, 2021
Report

Evaluation of Energy Systems Network's Moving Forward Initiative in Indiana: Initial Program Outcomes and Potential Impacts

Moving Forward takes a novel approach to developing affordable, energy-efficient housing and transportation. The authors recommend ways to strengthen the program and increase the likelihood of achieving and verifying outcomes as the program matures.

Sep 21, 2021

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Robert J. Lempert

Director, Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition

Robert Lempert is a principal researcher at the RAND Corporation and director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition. His research focuses on risk management and decisionmaking under conditions of deep uncertainty. Lempert’s work aims to…
Fabian Villalobos

Associate Engineer

Fabian E. Villalobos (he/him/his) is an associate engineer at the RAND Corporation with an interest in the intersection of technology, economics, and geopolitics. He primarily focuses on issues in the national security and homeland security sectors. His work at RAND has included topics on…

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