Resources for the Future

Say hi to us at CERAWeek! ?? Billy Pizer, Kevin Rennert, Daniel Raimi, Milan Elkerbout, and Jan Mares are in Houston, TX talking with decisionmakers about the future of #energy policy. ????

In the past decade, the United States has become the world’s leading exporter of liquefied #NaturalGas. What are the economic and environmental effects of this trend? ??? ?? Brian Prest joined Resources Radio this week to discuss the effects of increasing LNG exports on oil and gas prices and #methane #emissions, including the dynamic between increasing crude oil exports, regional gas production, and methane leaks. "Increased oil exports actually caused the Permian Basin, which has high [methane] leak rates, to crowd out gas production from Appalachia, which has low leak rates," says Prest. ?? Listen now: https://lnkd.in/ecawTA2f

Extreme weather events are increasingly putting financial strain on insurers and homeowners. But Carolyn Kousky of Environmental Defense Fund says #insurance and disaster recovery can be reimagined to become more affordable and improve disaster resilience. ? “[Disasters] need to be considered a really important opportunity to build differently … Insurers have a natural role of providing better information to people about what measures they need to take, what changes they need to make, and potentially give them extra dollars to do those retrofits at the time of rebuilding,“ says Kousky. ? ?? Listen now: https://lnkd.in/eFkC2WCN

The recording of "Finding the Right Fit: What Jobs Offer a Good Match for Fossil Fuel Workers' Skills?" is now live on our YouTube channel! Feel free to watch and share with your network.

While #wildfires are a major issue in the American West, they are also a growing issue in the Southeastern United States. ?? ?? In an article in Heatmap News, Jeva Lange sat down with our very own David Wear to discuss the ongoing fires in the Carolinas and his recent research, which finds a “perfect storm” in the Southeastern United States—a blend of increasing #climate risk, populous counties, and communities that have difficulty overcoming the impacts of #NaturalDisasters. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ei7wmjP9 He was also quoted in an article in The Washington Post by Ruby Mellen and Ben Noll. ? “There are more wildfires in the southeast than any other part of the country in a given year, said David Wear...Typically, the fires are smaller and confined to the spring and fall, he said—but spring is coming earlier and earlier.” Check out the full article: https://lnkd.in/et2waJGc #climatechange #wildfires #NorthCarolina #SouthCarolina #climateris?

The #wildfires in Los Angeles in January are expected to be one of the costliest extreme weather events in US history. Given the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in the United States—especially in California—what can policymakers do to address rising costs in insurance markets? Matthew Wibbenmeyer, a fellow at Resources for the Future, discusses these challenges in California’s home insurance market and policy options to mitigate wildfires moving forward. ??

Upcoming Skills Matching Webinar! ?? ??? Join RFF this Wednesday, March 5, for a virtual presentation entitled "Finding the Right Fit: What Jobs Offer a Good Match for Fossil Fuel Workers' Skills?" Daniel Raimi and Jacob Greenspon will discuss their findings on this topic, as well as introduce an interactive skills matching tool. This will be followed by a panel discussion with subject matter experts Efrem Bycer and Eleanor Krause. Find out more and register here: https://bit.ly/41qvbJu

Coastal properties in the United States are increasingly susceptible to damage as extreme weather events become more intense and frequent. ? But a bipartisan federal law from the 1980s has successfully curbed development on certain coastlines and reduced the costs of disasters for coastal communities and governments. RFF’s Yanjun Liao joined Resources Radio to discuss the design and effects of the law. ? “We find that the policy is actually really effective in preempting development or curbing development on designated lands,” says Liao. ? ?? Listen here https://lnkd.in/gDtj8gsb

The past few weeks have not been kind to the offshore wind industry—and even before the federal government paused permitting for offshore wind, many developers were reexamining projects along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts due to cost and policy uncertainty. ? But research from Dan Shawhan finds that offshore wind can become an important part of the energy mix and provide air-quality benefits to communities in coastal areas. #OffshoreWind #WindEnergy #ClimatePolicy #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #Electricity

Upcoming?Webinar! ?? ?? Join Resources for the Future (RFF) on February 25 for a virtual presentation entitled “Lessons in Mining Sustainability in Latin America”. Our panel of experts (including Jimena Sologuren, Martín Obaya, Rómulo Mucho, Ulrike Broschek, Vinio F. and Beia Spiller) will examine the developments in sustainable mining and community engagement in Latin America. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3Qml9nE El 25 de febrero, Resources for the Future (RFF) presentará el seminario virtual: “Lessons in Mining Sustainability in Latin America”. Nuestro panel de expertos (incluyendo Jimena Sologuren, Martín Obaya, Rómulo Mucho, Ulrike Broschek, Vinio F. y Beia Spiller) examinará cómo la industria minera está avanzando en innovaciones de sostenibilidad y participación social en América Latina. La presentación será en inglés. Aprenda más y regístrese aquí: https://bit.ly/3Qml9nE