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Energy and Environment

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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.

Q&A

The Science of Climate Policy: Q&A with Benjamin Preston

Oct 22, 2019

Benjamin Preston, a senior policy researcher and director of RAND's Community Health and Environmental Policy Program, specializes in climate risk and adaptation, disaster recovery, and resilience. In this Q&A, he discusses common misperceptions about climate change and how to decarbonize the U.S. economy.
Commentary

Turning Off Power to Combat Wildfires Could Harm the Very People Who Need Protection

Oct 28, 2019

Intentionally shutting off power may be a practical way to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires. But is it worth the risks? Until more thoughtful and comprehensive decisions are made, planned power outages need to be planned better.

Topics in Focus:

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Journal Article

Journal Article

Culture and Cognition: Understanding Public Perceptions of Risk and (In)Action

This model demonstrates how cognitive structure, cultural schema, and environment awareness could be combined to improve risk communication. Case studies: one on decision makers facing extreme heat, and another on homeowners facing flood events.

Dec 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

On the Need for Prospective Disaster Survey Panels

Understanding how human beings respond to emergencies is difficult, because a lack of predisaster data often makes before-and-after comparisons impossible.

Nov 26, 2019
Blog

Medicare, Climate Change, 'Superbugs': RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on opening Medicare to Americans at age 50, how to assess climate change plans, antibiotic-resistant "superbugs," and more.

Nov 22, 2019
Report

Report

Insights into global food system risks and opportunities and their implications for the FSA

RAND Europe identified global food system risks and opportunities and drew out key implications to 2030 for the UK Food Standards Agency. The study is a test of an approach that the FSA could implement to enable ongoing horizon scanning capabilities.

Nov 15, 2019
Commentary

How Voters Can Assess New Climate Plans

While the U.S. government has announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, most presidential candidates and many states have proposed climate plans of their own. How might voters determine if any of these plans can seriously address climate change?

Nov 14, 2019
Journal Article

Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty: Climate Change and Infrastructure Management

This chapter very briefly addresses issues and approaches to decision making on adaptation to climate change.

Nov 12, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Disaster Risk Reduction Is Not 'Everyone's Business': Evidence from Three Countries

The author examines disaster risk reduction (DRR) by answering the following questions: Who are the main types of actors involved in DRR in different countries, how do they work together, and how much variation is there between countries?

Nov 5, 2019
Commentary

How a Poor Indoor Environment at Home Affects Children's Health in the EU

One third of children in the EU are exposed to damp or mold, cold, darkness, and noise in their own homes. The good condition of homes should not only be seen as an issue of comfort, but as an essential basic requirement for good health of the residents, especially when they are families with children.

Nov 4, 2019
Blog

White Supremacist Terrorism, Wildfires, the Dark Web: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on violent white supremacy, power outages to prevent wildfires, how to catch criminals on the dark web, and more.

Nov 1, 2019
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: November-December 2019

This issue spotlights research on veteran suicide; liability implications of driverless cars; and new approaches to improving the post-incarceration experience. The Giving column highlights a million-dollar gift to fund research on homeless veterans.

Oct 28, 2019
Blog

The Syria Withdrawal, Climate Policy, Drones: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the effects of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, one expert's take on climate policy, how drones could help get blood to soldiers who need it, and more.

Oct 25, 2019
Commentary

Uncovering the Links Between Fires and Public Health in Equatorial Asia

Fires in Indonesia, if left unchecked, could cause an average of 36,000 premature deaths annually across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Researchers built a tool that models the effect of the fires on public health.

Oct 25, 2019
Journal Article

Creating a Water Risk Index to Improve Community Resilience

We demonstrate two methods to combine water hazard data with a derived water vulnerability index to characterize water risk. We then compare the costs of two potential government policies: buyout of the home versus funding for foundation elevation.

Oct 23, 2019
Journal Article

Flood Damage Reduction Benefits and Costs in Louisiana's 2017 Coastal Master Plan

This article builds on the modeling analysis conducted for Louisiana's 2017 Coastal Master Plan. We use the Coastal Louisiana Risk Assessment model to project coastal flood damage over time under different scenarios and with the master plan implemented.

Oct 23, 2019
Report

Incorporating Resilience into Transportation Planning

A resilient transportation system is one in which critical assets are not exposed to hazards or, if they are, there is sufficient capacity to mitigate the negative effects. How can transportation planners better incorporate resilience into their decisionmaking?

Oct 16, 2019
Blog

Virtual Societal Warfare, Iran, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the risk of virtual societal welfare, Iran's domestic debates, federal policy options for supervised consumption sites, and more.

Oct 11, 2019
Report

India and Pakistan Could Better Manage Shared Air and Water Resources

Infrastructure development along shared water resources and air pollution from agricultural burning are heightening tensions between India and Pakistan. But these issues should be seen as an opportunity for cooperation to improve health and well-being.

Oct 9, 2019
Report

Report

Poor indoor climate, its impact on child health, and the wider societal costs

This study looked at the impact of poor indoor climate on child health and at the costs for society at large. It covered the following indoor climate hazards: damp; mould; indoor air pollution; noise; radon; excess cold; lack of daylight.

Oct 9, 2019

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