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June 14, 2013
Asteroids and Tsunamis and Space Weather, Oh My!
What are the odds that tomorrow you walk out of your home to see a meteor burning up in Earth’s atmosphere as it hurtles toward our planet at breakneck speed? Luckily, chances are pretty low. But, as evidenced by the recent large fireball – or “superbolide” if you speak Astrophysics – seen by many (and captured by many video cameras) near Chelyabinsk, Russia, this does happen. That relatively small meteor …
June 10, 2013
Risky Business
We only have to turn on the news to see the need for better risk reduction in the United States and worldwide. Recent tornadoes in Oklahoma have killed dozens, and many people across the country were surprised to learn that sometimes local policy does not require tornado shelters in areas known for tornado outbreaks. Natural disasters can destroy livelihoods as well. On average, extreme weather events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, …
June 5, 2013
Global Warming: Public Opinion and Policy
As a research scientist in Carnegie Mellon University’s interdisciplinary department of Engineering and Public Policy, I field a lot of questions. Perhaps the toughest of those is “How can you sleep at night, when you know your research is influencing policy? We’re scientists, not advocates!” Well, shall we pause a moment to consider how our reluctance to talk about policy implications has affected the global warming debate? The scientific …
June 4, 2013
The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges to Meet Growing Demands
Water and energy are linked resources in ever-increasing demand in the United States. Energy production requires an abundant, reliable, and predictable source of water, a resource that is unfortunately in short supply already throughout large portions of the U.S. Additionally, developing water supplies can require large amounts of energy to extract, transport, treat, and distribute. As such, the water-energy nexus presents a significant challenge for our country’s water resource and …
June 3, 2013
Complex Science and Policy Challenges in U.S. Onshore and Offshore Energy
Historically, the challenges associated with energy were almost purely scientific and technological. Incredible advancements in energy for industrial, residential, and transportation uses revolutionized the U.S. standard of living, but the energy challenges have grown exponentially more complex in that time. For example, the modern-day version of oil drilling began in 1859 in the United States. For most of the following century, the U.S. produced over half of the world’s oil, …
