Climate Change: News & Research (32)

In the news: …Why the big cost increase? The Headwaters Economics report cites three factors: wood, weather, and WUI -- the Wildland-Urban Interface. Wood is a result of forest management practices that allow fuel to accumulate. Weather is a hotter, drier climate. And the WUI zone is an increasingly attractive place to build homes, which means there's more property to be protected from wildfires. Such developments benefit from "perverse incentives" and a lack of accountability: "People who develop in forested areas, and local governments that allow such new subdivisions, do not pay their share of fire fighting costs. The majority of firefighting expenses instead are paid by the Forest Service, BLM, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency." ...If you live where wildfires are a possibility, it might be a good idea to make sure your county commissioners get a copy of this report -- deterring development in the WUI is one way to save tax money.…

In the news: By Ray Rasker, Executive Director, Headwaters Economics— Fighting wildfires costs U.S. taxpayers $3 billion annually, more than twice what it cost a decade ago. Unfortunately, this expense is almost certain to continue to grow, and -- unless action is taken -- firefighting costs could at least double again in the next 15 years because of expanding residential development on fire-prone lands and increased temperatures associated with climate change.… In an effort to curb the rising expense of fighting forest fires, Headwaters Economics has developed a report that outlines ten possible solutions, ranging from increased education to changes in insurance or mortgage laws. The research white paper shows that we have the knowledge and solutions needed to address this problem, and the report, Solutions to the Rising Costs of Fighting Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface, enjoys the support of former Director Kennedy and Dale Bosworth, former Chief of the Forest Service.…

In the news: Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit research firm in Bozeman, Mont., has outlined 10 proposals to help curb the rising expense of fighting forest fires -- which already costs taxpayers $3 billion annually or roughly half the Forest Service’s budget. To prevent firefighting costs from at least doubling in the next decade or two, the report recommends some dramatic changes in incentives, pushing costs onto wildland interface property owners and the county commissioners who authorize residential development on fire-prone lands. 'The current policy of looking the other way while more and more homes are built on dangerous, fire-prone lands is not sustainable,' said Ray Rasker, the report’s author. 'This report shows that we have the knowledge and solutions needed to address this problem. Now is the time to implement responsible, accountable steps that can help hold the line on future fire costs."…

In the news: By Ray Rasker, Executive Director, Headwaters Economics— Climate change is here. It's already influencing economic decisions and conditions across the world. Yet most of the analysis on the impacts of climate change has been so large or abstract—the global impacts of weather patterns or rising sea levels—that the results often hold little value for an average family or small business. Locally, there has been little research on the direct impacts that climate change will have on Montana communities. Fortunately, more analysis is starting to take place at the state and local level.…

In the news: …The cost of protecting homes from wildfires could more than double in the next 15 years due to a combination of continued housing development and increasing temperatures, according to a study by Headwaters Economics. Higher average temperatures would cause longer, more intense fire seasons. That, paired with an increase in the number of houses near forestland, would mean more homes would be susceptible to fires, the group said. The safety of residents and firefighters would be the main concern in that situation, but there are also significant economic costs that come along with it, said Headwaters policy director Chris Mehl.…