Earth Economics

The new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be managed by both local indigenous groups and the federal government. It will protect over 4,500 mi2 along the Central California coast—the third largest marine sanctuary in the country. #inidgenousstewardship https://ow.ly/nyt250TNgkW

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Since 2009, Earth Economics has supported Indigenous-led stewardship through partnerships with Tribes, First Nations, and Inter-Tribal Organizations. Directed by Indigenous leadership and frameworks, Earth Economics has conducted holistic economic analyses to inform policies, Treaties, restoration projects, economic opportunities, and conservation planning. We have also produced several additional studies that underscore Indigenous values regarding natural resource and land stewardship. #indigenousstewardship Earth Economics acknowledges that we operate on the lands of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the ancestral homelands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty. https://ow.ly/hIO750TL4uv

Earth Economics has open research internship positions! Join us to gain practical, real world experience as we apply ecological economics to communicate the value of nature-based solutions. We especially encourage students (graduate and advanced undergraduate) eligible for in-state work study, but welcome applications from inquisitive, detail-oriented individuals with a passion for better understanding relationships between communities and the natural world. #betterdecisionsnaturally https://lnkd.in/gvBA6MJ

Earth Economics has open research internship positions! Join us to gain practical, real world experience as we apply ecological economics to communicate the value of nature-based solutions. We especially encourage students (graduate and advanced undergraduate) eligible for in-state work study, but welcome applications from inquisitive, detail-oriented individuals with a passion for better understanding relationships between communities and the natural world. #betterdecisionsnaturally https://lnkd.in/gvBA6MJ

Earth Economics is proud to join the Nature Tech Collective, focused on advancing the uptake of nature-based solutions and closing the nature-finance gap. #naturetechcollective https://ow.ly/2kJx50TGYoh

Recent research by Rebuild by Design found that 1-in-5 homes sold in NYC in 2023 were likely to flood within 30 years, the lifetime of typical home mortgages. That’s more than $3.6B at risk. FEMA publishes flood zone maps (see https://ow.ly/tRwT50TEsC3), but does not account for rain-and snowmelt-driven stormwater. While NY state requires sellers to disclose a home’s flood history, there is no equivalent requirement at the federal level. Our Senior Research Analyst, Carson Risner, studied similar dynamics in Snohomish County for his master’s research. He found that when FEMA remaps flood zones to account for changing environmental conditions, homes within the added areas were valued less—but only for 3 years after remapping. Afterwards (and for homes already known to be located in flood zones) buyers do not tend to account for potential flood losses when purchasing homes. #floodrisks https://ow.ly/yoa350TEsC2

Weather events—tornado, hurricanes, winter storms—have well-documented impacts of US communities. Recently, the US Census attempted to assess the impact of weather of US businesses, as well. The Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) asks business owners about monetary losses following major weather events. Following Hurricane Beryl, a quarter of Houston business reported losses within two weeks; more than half were reporting losses within a month of the hurricane. Winter storms can also lead to significant costs, especially in the Midwest and parts of the South. Nearly a third of businesses in Tennessee (and over a quarter in Arkansas) experienced losses loss due to extreme winter weather in early 2024. #weathermatters https://ow.ly/onG550TCySs

2023 was BC’s biggest wildfire season to date. The province’s complex topography, cultures, and economies all require place-based fire research and knowledge. Factors like drought, the height of the water table, and relative humidity all vary from one location to the next, making forecasting especially challenging. The BC Wildfire Service is tasked with doing just that, so that they can deploy frontline firefighters to where they’re needed most. The province has 6 regional fire centers, divided into 33 zones. Conditions are assessed daily and hourly from a network of 240 weather stations, as well as data from Environment Canada. This helps them to identify hotspots. #wildfire “Each of these fire centers, each of these zones, each of these localities has their own intrinsic local effects and local climatology.”—Matt MacDonald, Lead Fire Weather Forecaster, BC Wildfire Service https://ow.ly/T3Q950TzzAH

Earlier this month, our Executive Director Maya Kocian attended the 2024 National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference, held in Anchorage, AK. This year's conference focused on climate impacts, tools, and adaptation and mitigation actions, as well as the intersection of Traditional/Indigenous Knowledges with western science. Since 2009, Earth Economics has supported Indigenous-led stewardship through partnerships with Tribes, First Nations, and Inter-Tribal Organizations. Directed by Indigenous leadership and frameworks, we have conducted holistic economic analyses to inform policies, Treaties, restoration projects, economic opportunities, and conservation planning. We have also produced several additional studies that underscore Indigenous values regarding natural resource and land stewardship. #indigenousleadership https://ow.ly/Bj5U50TwK8k

A 2021 report estimated that more than 16,000 wells across BC will need to be permanently sealed in the next few decades. Unsealed wells vent methane to the atmosphere, equivalent to the emissions of burning up to 1.5 lbs of coal every hour, every day, year after year. The First Nations company Aski Reclamation is “rewilding” ecosystems throughout their ancestral lands, sealing abandoned oil wells, remediating contaminated soil and water, and replanting with native plants to restore ecological diversity. Aski Reclamation staff consult with Elders and members, building a database of native ecological plant communities of cultural significance. They also collect native seeds to ensure that sites are restored in ways that are culturally and ecologically grounded. The process takes several years, but eventually natural water flows can be restored, attracting other native species to restored sites. #indigenousrestoration https://ow.ly/hyzL50TvIhn