In The News

Europe’s Heat Wave: BBC

Rob Picheta June 30, 2019
A heat wave is spreading across Europe with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and other nations reported records. Spain’s meteorological agency reported a mass of tropical wind is coming in from Africa, and the high temperatures are disrupting business and recreation activities. “French authorities have taken a number of...

Globalization and Travel: World Economic Forum

Kris Naudts June 29, 2019
Globalization has without a doubt led to increased travel and a boom of the tourism industry. While the term “globalization” generally is used more for discussion of trade and finance, the diffusion of people across borders is a leading factor for increased interactions among cultures. A rise in student debt and housing costs contribute to cultural trends that favor experiences more than...

Climate Change and Reinsurance: Insurance Journal

Don Jergler June 26, 2019
Insurance companies purchase their own insurance – known as reinsurance – for select risks. Climate change presents “high exposure risk” for the industry – including property damage, failure to disclose risks or prevent disruptions, explains Don Jergler for Insurance Journal, reviewing a while paper on climate change and reinsurance implications. The paper points to increasing litigation,...

Climate Change and Capitalism: Guardian

Phil McDuff June 2, 2019
Children witnessing climate disruptions express alarm about the future and question why governments fail to take action against the planet’s destruction. “Today’s children, as they become more politically aware, will be much more radical than their parents, simply because there will be no other choice for them,” suggests Phil McDuff for the Guardian. “Climate change is the result of our current...

Australia’s Election Message: The Age

Ben Oquist May 21, 2019
Australian voters gave a surprise win to conservatives and Scott Morrison who ran on a platform of tax cuts and strengthening the economy. The result does not mean that Australians have forgotten climate change, explains Ben Oquist for the Age. Morrison as prime minister rejected renewable energy targets and supported $25 billion in renewable energy investment as candidate. Renewable energies...

US Federal Reserve, Arctic Council, Climate Change

Michael S. Derby May 9, 2019
Climate scientists warn that global warming is underway, promising severe disruptions for economies. The Trump administration denies climate change is a crisis and resists pullback on fossil fuels. Yet officials at all levels of government and business – financial, insurance, health and more – must confront costly weather disasters, so the United States issues mixed messages. For the Arctic...

1 Million Species at Risk: National Geographic

Stephen Leahy May 6, 2019
Humans, their growing numbers and development, are overwhelming the world’s other 8.5 million species. “Without a global societal transformation that focuses on protecting nature, one million species may be pushed to extinction by human activities in the coming years – with serious consequences for human beings and the rest of life on Earth – according to a landmark United Nations report on the...