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Global Climate Change

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Global climate models developed by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict glacial retreat, rises in sea level, and other impacts on human and natural activity, from agriculture to migratory patterns. RAND researchers have studied and are continuing to examine the effects of climate change, particularly how governments and businesses respond to both observed changes and projected scenarios.

Essay
An Early Warning System for Landslides Protects Sitka, Alaska
A 2015 landslide that killed three people in Sitka, Alaska, changed how residents looked at the steep hills all around them. The community worked with researchers to develop a warning system to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Mar 14, 2023
Commentary
California's Ambitious Decarbonization Plan Hasn't Been Future-Proofed
California has an ambitious blueprint to make the state carbon-neutral by 2045. But there's been no integrated stress test of the whole plan. The state needs and deserves a future-proofed, stress-tested plan that all Californians can trust to achieve its climate goals.
Dec 15, 2022

Explore Global Climate Change

Essay
Manipulating the Climate: What Are the Geopolitical Risks?
Geoengineering technologies that could block the sun's rays or siphon huge amounts of carbon from the air are not that far out of reach. Yet the international community has not established the kinds of guardrails you might expect for potentially world-changing technologies.
Dec 29, 2021
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Fall 2021
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about fall 2021, regional climate trends, and the upcoming winter season. A tool shows an analysis of future projected changes in temperature, compared to climate normals.
Dec 21, 2021
Journal Article
Adaptive Water Management in the Face of Uncertainty: Integrating Machine Learning, Groundwater Modeling and Robust Decision Making
This study examines climate change and water resources management challenges facing water suppliers in drought-prone regions.
Dec 21, 2021
Blog
Russia and Ukraine, Climate Migration, Democracy in Asia: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Russia and Ukraine, planning for climate migration, the state of democracy in Asia, and more.
Dec 10, 2021
Report
Addressing Climate Migration
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.
Dec 7, 2021
Blog
Measuring Greenhouse Gases in Los Angeles County
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.
Nov 30, 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
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
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
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
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
Tool
Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Summer 2021
This climate summary aims to inform Mid-Atlantic policymakers and practitioners about summer 2021, regional climate trends, and the upcoming fall season. A tool shows an analysis of historic and future projected growing degree days across the Mid-Atlantic.
Sep 20, 2021
Research Brief
The Growing Exposure of Air Force Installations to Natural Disasters
Some Department of the Air Force installations face high levels of exposure to flooding, wildfires, or high winds. Twenty installations have areas with high or very high wildfire potential.
Sep 16, 2021
Blog
Boosting Vaccine Acceptance, Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis, Environmental Racism: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on addressing vaccine hesitancy, preventing an even-bigger humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and how to develop antiracist environmental policies.
Sep 10, 2021
Q&A
Mapping Environmental Racism: Q&A with Jaime Madrigano and Benjamin Preston
Environmental policy experts Jaime Madrigano and Benjamin Preston are leading an effort to highlight how discriminatory policies have shaped environmental health disparities. Their goal: create an interactive map of the United States to motivate environmental policy that advances antiracism.
Sep 7, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: September-October 2021
The cover story highlights strategies to mitigate homegrown terrorism and ideologically inspired violence in the U.S. A second feature describes Costa Rica's ambitious decarbonization plan and its implications for nations around the world.
Sep 7, 2021
Blog
U.S. Failure in Afghanistan, Critical Race Theory Bans, Income Inequality: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how early mistakes led to America's failure in Afghanistan, the potential effects of critical race theory bans, an art installation that breaks down RAND data on income inequality, and more.
Sep 3, 2021
Essay
Costa Rica Leads the Way in Cutting Carbon Emissions
Almost every country has pledged to slash carbon emissions to slow the gears of global warming. Costa Rica's plan provides a glimpse of what a carbon-neutral future will look like. It shows how nations can take action and make investments that hold up, regardless of what future comes to pass.
Aug 30, 2021
Multimedia
Climate Change: An Issue of Equity
RAND senior policy researcher Benjamin Preston describes areas where climate change and equity intersect.
Aug 26, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Global Climate Change

Topic Synonyms:
Climate Change;
Global Warming

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