The Conversation

Does climate change affect real estate prices? Only if you believe in it

Written by Constantine Yannelis, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Chicago

Flooding due to climate change may make coastal homes less valuable.AP Photo/Julio Cortez

In the wake of two powerful hurricanes in the U.S. this fall, the scientific evidence that climate change will raise the risk of severe weather events continues to grow.

In some coastal areas such as Hawaii and Florida, roughly one-tenth of all homes are...

It's the economics: Red states embracing wind energy don't do it for the climate

Written by Sarah Mills, Senior Project Manager, Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP); Project Manager, National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE), University of Michigan

Energy Secretary and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry checks out a wind turbine.AP Photo/LM Otero

The federal government has never played a leading role in restricting the carbon footprint of the nation’s power plants. But now that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle many energy regulations, that national role is even smaller.

Many...

Many Midwesterners will likely never believe in climate change. Here’s how to encourage them to act anyway

Written by Matthew Houser, Assistant Research Scientist, Indiana University

A farm in LaSalle County, Illinois.Eddie J. Rodriquez/shutterstock.com

The number of politically conservative Americans who are climate skeptics is growing, and the evidence suggests that they’re unlikely to change their opinions.

This is particularly evident in the Midwest. Although 61 percent of U.S. adults are concerned about global...

Is climate change causing a rise in the number of mosquito and tick-borne diseases?

Written by Oghenekaro Omodior, Assistant Professor of Recreation, Parks and Tourism, Indiana University

Warmer temperatures could lead to more zones of the country that make good breeding sites for mosquitoes.Apichart Meesri / Shutterstock.com

Life in a single-family home in suburban America, one with a quiet and spacious backyard, surrounded by natural habitats, lush green vegetation, where beautiful birds, squirrels and other small mammals come and...

How have textbooks portrayed climate change?

Written by Brett Levy, Assistant professor of educational theory and practice, University at Albany, State University of New York

Some science textbooks give a skewed view of the causes of climate change, new research finds.pong-photo9/www.shutterstock.com

Back in 2007, the world’s foremost body charged with assessing climate change stated with “very high confidence” that humans were a primary driver of climate change.

But you may not get the message that...

What is climate-ready infrastructure? Some cities are starting to adapt

Written by Mikhail Chester, Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University

Miami is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to raise roads in response to rising sea levels.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

The most recent international report on climate change paints a picture of disruption to society unless there are drastic and rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Although it’s early days, some cities and municipalities...

The risk of 'cascading' natural disasters is on the rise

Written by Farshid Vahedifard, CEE Advisory Board Endowed Professor and Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mississippi State University

Deadly debris flows came to Los Angeles after heavy rain pounded wildfire-scarred land.AP Photo/Reed Saxon

In a warming world, the dangers from natural disasters are changing. In a recent commentary, we identified a number of costly and deadly catastrophes that point to an increase in the risk of “cascading” events – ones that...

World hunger has risen for three straight years, and climate change is a cause

Written by Jessica Eise, Ross Fellow in the Brian Lamb School of Communication Doctoral Program, Purdue University

A man walks through a greenhouse in northeastern Uganda where sustainable agriculture techniques such as drought-resistant crops and tree planting are taught, Oct. 19, 2017. AP Photo/Adelle Kalakouti

World hunger has risen for a third consecutive year, according to the United Nations’ annual food security report. The total number of people...

How a game can move people from climate apathy to action

Written by Juliette N. Rooney-Varga, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell

High school students at the University of Maine Farmington’s Upward Bound program playing the World Climate simulation. Mary Sinclair, CC BY-ND

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been called a “deafening” alarm and an “ear-splitting wake-up call” about the need for sweeping...

Rising insurance costs may convince Americans that climate change risks are real

Written by Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor at the Ross School of Business and School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan

Damage from Hurricane Michael and other storms may lead to higher insurance premiums. Reuters/Terray Sylvester

One of the great challenges of tackling climate change is making it real for people without a scientific background. That’s because the threat it poses can be so hard to see or feel.

In the wake of Hurricanes Florence and Michael,...