"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Policy
How Disasters Reveal Municipal Financial Weaknesses
04/24/20
“How do disasters reveal financial weaknesses?”
When a disaster strikes, municipalities have to use funds on hand to combat the crisis. Municipalities that are lower in funding will have more visible problems during and after the effects. This is How Disasters Reveal Municipal Financial Weaknesses.
Computational Demography for Climate Adaptation
04/23/20
“How can computational demographic methods be applied to climate adaptation?”
With the advent of climate change, human populations will be migrating in an unprecedented manner. To study this, advanced social science methods will need to be utilized. Computational Demography will be especially useful given its novel structure and ability to process vast amounts of complex data. Examples could range from analyzing safe spots in Bangladesh for people to move away from perpetual flooding or categorizing social vulnerability to wildfires in a population. This is how Computational Demography for Climate Adaptation will become especially useful.
Computational Demography
04/22/20
“How can we apply computational methods to demography?”
Demography is a centuries-old field of study relying upon time-honed methods. However, with the advent of computers, more advanced statistical processing in the form of Computational Demography. Computational demography uses computer resources to understand populational change and characteristic development.
Why Did Oil Prices Drop Below Zero So Rapidly?
04/21/20
“Why did oil prices fall below zero on April 20th, 2020?”
On April 20th, 2020, prices for West Texas Intermediate oil, the U.S benchmark, dropped below zero for the first time ever! This was caused by the fact that holding excess oil has become more and more expensive in the wake of the coronavirus and that investors did not believe that the new production cut signed on by Saudi Arabia and Russia would be effective in curtailing supply imbalance, causing prices to shoot negative. This is Why Did Oil Prices Dropped Below Zero So Rapidly.
How COVID Is Impacting the Coal Industry
04/20/20
“How is COVID impacting the coal industry?”
The coal industry has been in decline for many decades now. However, the COVID pandemic is only accelerating things. Since coal workers are forced to stay at home and electricity demand is dropping, the revenue streams of these companies have all but disappeared. This is forcing many into bankruptcy, spilling into further contraction for the sector. This is How COVID Is Impacting the Coal Industry.
Extreme Heat Migration
04/19/20
“How will extreme heat induce migration in the future?”
With the advent of climate change, All locations are going to become much hotter. Certain areas might become so bad that communities will have to flee. This Extreme Heat Migration will become more apparent in the future as temperature increases reach catastrophic levels.
How Water Monitoring Can Assist With Flood Resilience Preparation
04/17/20
“How can water monitoring assist with flood resilience preparation?”
With the advent of the new climate paradigm, floods are going to become more common and lethal. In order to prevent disruption, water levels in rivers, oceans, and ponds can be monitored. This way, if things start to become too unstable, preventative action can be taken. This is How Water Monitoring Can Assist With Flood Resilience Preparation.
Why Rising Global Temperatures May Impact School Performance (And Why This Is an Equity Issue)
04/16/20
“Why may rising global temperatures impact school performance and why is this an equity issue?”
Working in hot conditions is always difficult. It makes it hard to concentrate, you need to take more water breaks, and the experience is just generally unpleasant. Studying and learning in a classroom is no different. Schools with less adequate resources are overwhelmingly more likely to have less-maintained and up-to-date facilities that lack air-conditioning systems. With the advent of climate change, temperatures are going to become much higher, and communities who do not have the resources to cope with this are going to be impacted more. This is Why Rising Global Temperatures May Impact School Performance (And Why This Is an Equity Issue).
Image credit http://www.ajc.com
Why Allowing Hospital Staff to Rest Will Increase Medical Effectiveness
04/15/20
“Why do breaks make hospital workers more effective?”
Hospital workers are the backbone of our medical establishments. Even though they save lives every day, they have lives of their own that need to be maintained. If they go without rest, they will become more tired and error-prone. By allowing for relaxation, hospital workers can recharge and get back to work. This is Why Allowing Hospital Staff to Rest Will Increase Medical Effectiveness.
