To stabilize climate change, we need to get to zero net carbon emissions by the end of the century. A key question then for policymakers is when and how to reduce emissions. Imagine you are a policymaker, and you have two options for reducing emissions. Energy efficiency measures in the building sector (LED lights instead of light bulbs, better thermal insulation) can reduce … [Read more...] about Climate Policy: When the Expensive Options Make Sense
Environment and Climate Change
New National Parks Can Help Latin America Tackle its Drought Problem
The last few months have been big ones for conservation in Latin America. New and expanded national parks covering millions of hectares have been created, encompassing everything from the towering tepuis and ancient rock art of Colombia's Amazon to the lowland rivers of the Peruvian Amazon and the temperate rain forests of Chile's Patagonia. It couldn't come soon enough. … [Read more...] about New National Parks Can Help Latin America Tackle its Drought Problem
Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Areas of Latin America, like Mexico and Chile, have some of the world's greatest solar potential. But a new technological development in solar cells could allow them to harness more of the sun's energy and speed the growth of solar in the region. The new solar cells are known as perovskites. They are made of a crystalline structure and can be printed on sheets of plastic or … [Read more...] about Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Can Small Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Shocks?
When researchers consider the economic costs of climate change, they often estimate models based on historical temperature and economic data. But it can be difficult to account for adaptation. Typically, these models estimate an upper bound of the economic costs of climate change. Future adaptation, it is assumed, will reduce those costs. But adaptation could play a more … [Read more...] about Can Small Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Shocks?
Stepping Up the Struggle Against Climate Change
The word out of Bonn, where the latest United Nations Climate summit came to an end Nov. 18, is hardly encouraging. Assuming that countries honor their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions made to date, the globe's temperature will still rise at least 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, 1 degree Celsius above the agreement established at the Paris … [Read more...] about Stepping Up the Struggle Against Climate Change