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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.

Project

The Risks of Geoengineering

Apr 27, 2022

Geoengineering—the intentional manipulation of the climate—could help curb global warming, but it could also have world-altering consequences. In a new animated video, RAND artists-in-residence Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre take a lighthearted look at this serious issue.
Commentary

Amid Climate Change, These Tech and Policy Experts See Reason for Optimism

Apr 18, 2022

To slow climate change and adapt to the damage already underway, the world will have to shift how it generates and uses energy, transports people and goods, designs buildings, and grows food. That starts with embracing innovation and change.

Topics in Focus:

Explore Energy and Environment

Journal Article

Disasters and Indigenous Peoples: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Expert News Media

In this article, we aim to understand framings of Indigenous peoples in disaster management through a critical discourse analysis of how Indigenous peoples in disasters are represented in the expert news media.

May 19, 2022
Commentary

How Could the United States Incentivize Investors to Decarbonize the Economy?

While mandatory climate-related disclosure may improve information and decisionmaking for investors, it alone is unlikely to accelerate investment in decarbonization at the rate needed. To motivate private investment in climate mitigation, policymakers could explore additional policies.

May 12, 2022
Report

Managing Response to Significant Cyber Incidents: Comparing Event Life Cycles and Incident Response Across Cyber and Non-Cyber Events

This report examines U.S. structures and processes for non-cyber emergency management and whether U.S. officials can learn from these other incidents to help public and private sector stakeholders improve preparations for response to cyber incidents.

May 12, 2022
Blog

A Peacekeeping Operation in Ukraine, Synthetic Opioids, Geoengineering: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why it may be time to consider a peacekeeping operation in northern Ukraine, supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a new response to synthetic opioids, and more.

Apr 29, 2022
Multimedia

Observed Impacts, Future Risks, and Adaptation Solutions

An overview of testimony by Robert J. Lempert presented before the Minnesota House of Representatives Committee on Climate and Energy Finance and Policy on March 10, 2022.

Apr 13, 2022
Commentary

Russia Does Not Seem to Be After Ukraine's Gas Reserves

There seems to be very little reason to believe that the true stakes of the war in Ukraine are the country's natural gas reserves, as some have speculated. Ukrainian gas fields appear too small to justify the costs of the invasion, too hard to keep, and almost impossible for Russia to exploit.

Apr 11, 2022
Report

Defining Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices for Process Safety Management

The author presents the origin and intention of recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP), points of disagreement about the definition, and recommendations for complying with RAGAGEP.

Apr 11, 2022
Report

Assessing Risk to the National Critical Functions as a Result of Climate Change

Researchers developed a framework to assess and manage the risk that climate change poses to National Critical Functions, then used the framework to assess the most-vulnerable ones. This report details the risk assessment portions of the framework.

Apr 5, 2022
Blog

Helping Ukrainian Refugees, Truth Decay, Algorithmic Inequity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how to help Ukrainian refugees, the link between cognitive processes and Truth Decay, tracking wastewater to understand the spread of COVID-19, and more.

Apr 1, 2022
Commentary

How We Might Better Live with Oil in California

As California grapples with the question of balancing environmental stewardship with the recent renewed focus on “local oil,” lawmakers could look to local communities for the best answers to avoid future petro-disasters.

Apr 1, 2022
Project

Environmental Racism

Past housing policies—such as redlining—have an enduring legacy on urban neighborhoods today, and have contributed to which communities enjoy more trees, less traffic, and better air quality, and which face hazards such as pollution, toxic waste sites, and flooding risk.

Mar 31, 2022
Tool

Environmental Racism: A Tool for Exploring the Enduring Legacy of Redlining on Urban Environments

Researchers developed an online tool for visualizing the spatial relationships between the discriminatory practice of redlining and exposure to environmental hazards (e.g., pollution, waste sites).

Mar 31, 2022
Commentary

National Wastewater Tracking Could Help Us Stay Ahead of COVID-19—but Congress Cut the Funds

For years, medical experts have used wastewater to track the spread of diseases. The National Wastewater Surveillance System has the potential to significantly change the way we fight COVID-19 as well as future pandemics, bacterial diseases, and viruses. But building up the robustness of a wastewater surveillance system will take financial support, and it's not clear Congress will provide it.

Mar 24, 2022
Report

Advancing Global Citizenship in America

Concerted international action is required to address climate change and sustainability, pandemics, global security, and economic growth. But such action requires a sense of common destiny and shared responsibility among people across nations. What are Americans' attitudes toward global issues, and what could encourage them to become citizens of the world?

Mar 24, 2022
Report

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Mitigation Grant Program: Incorporating Hazard Risk and Social Equity into Decisionmaking Processes

The federal Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program can help develop community resilience through mitigation activities that emphasize equity goals alongside reduction of risk to physical assets, as described in this report.

Mar 23, 2022
Journal Article

Remote Sensing for Natural Disaster Recovery: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico

We present how remote sensing data was incorporated into the assessment and planning process, focusing on the applications for Puerto Rico's natural resources in the months following the hurricanes.

Mar 23, 2022
Report

Poor indoor climate: Its impact on health and life satisfaction, as well as its wider socio-economic costs

This study looks at the prevalence of poor indoor climate in Europe, its impact on health and well-being, as well as its wider socio-economic costs.

Mar 22, 2022
Tool

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Winter 2021–2022

This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about winter 2021–2022, regional climate trends, and the upcoming winter season. A tool shows an analysis of future projected changes in precipitation, compared to climate normals.

Mar 18, 2022

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Matthew Kubasak

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Matthew Kubasak is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. He has a B.S. in applied and computational math and statistics and double majored in political science from the University of Notre Dame.
Abbie Tingstad

Codirector, Climate Resilience Center, Senior Physical Scientist

Abbie Tingstad is codirector of the Climate Resilience Center and a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on issues related to strategy and planning in defense and homeland security, and for the environment. Research examples include: examining different…

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