RFF researchers on emissions, sea level, ecosystems, water, adaptation, and poverty
Last week, the US Global Change Research Program released the National Climate Assessment, which concluded “that the evidence of human-induced climate change continues to strengthen and that the impacts are increasing across the country.” In a statement about the assessment, RFF Vice President for Research Molly Macauley said, “The good news is that there are a lot of sensible strategies available. Many are economically beneficial on their own terms and these might be the ones for highest priority to enable this country to prepare effectively for an uncertain future.”
RFF researchers have proposed such strategies for addressing various issues highlighted in the National Climate Assessment.
On reducing fossil fuel emissions:
- Dallas Burtraw says: “The main event is how EPA chooses to regulate the existing electric generating units under the performance standard provision of the [Clean Air Act]. These units are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.”
On sea-level rise:
- Carolyn Kousky describes a three-part strategy for managing shoreline retreat, noting: “Property owners accepting the notion that their right to a property is not indefinite in the face of sea-level rise is a necessary, and difficult, first step.”
On protecting ecosystems:
- Jim Boyd calls for ecological hedging strategies: “We can make investments in ecological production to reduce the negative consequences of climate change on ecological wealth.”
On managing water resources:
- Yusuke Kuwayama suggests that the creation of groundwater markets could serve "changing conditions and demands" while preventing large declines in water tables.
On planning for adaptation:
- Daniel Morris, Molly Macauley, Ray Kopp, and Richard Morgenstern write: “The design of national adaptation policy must . . . be resilient against failure in the face of extreme climate-related scenarios and . . . flexible enough that it can meet the needs of local actors across the country in a timely manner and allow for major directional shifts as needed if existing policy proves insufficient.”
On climate change and poverty:
- Joseph Stiglitz notes the connection between environmental policies and inequality in societies, explaining that “small interventions can have very big effects . . . . An example on a national scale that is relevant in many developing countries is the adoption of more efficient cook stoves.”
