News

DOES LIVING IN AMERICA’S WEALTHIEST COMMUNITIES MAKE YOU SAFER?

Seven of 10 riskiest places are in California and Houston, Huntsville, Alabama and Oklahoma City  HERNDON, Va., July 10, 2024 — One of the privileges the wealthiest Americans enjoy is living wherever they want. But new research published in Risk Analysis suggests they should be cautious when choosing their Shangri-La.   In their nationwide analysis, Rutgers […]

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SOLAR-POWERED “RESILIENCE HUBS” IN CALIFORNIA COULD GENERATE UP TO 8GW OF POWER — PROVIDING EMERGENCY TO VULNERABLE RESIDENTS DURING OUTAGES.

OAKLAND, Calif., June 27, 2024 – Power outages are on the rise nationwide as climate change brings more frequent wildfires, heat waves, and severe weather events. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of California have both recently established funding to help communities create “resilience hubs” that rely on solar+battery systems to provide […]

LONGER FREIGHT TRAINS HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF DERAILMENT, NEW STUDY SHOWS.

WASHINGTON, DC, June 7, 2024 – In February 2023, 38 cars from a 151-car, 9,300-foot-long freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to the release of hazardous materials that required the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents. In recent years, such longer and heavier freight trains have become more common, primarily driven by fuel efficiency, […]

STUDY SHOWS AI-DRIVEN CYBERATTACKS CAN INFLICT DAMAGE ON GDP AND SUPPLY CHAINS FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST ECONOMIES.

Cyberattacks driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) pose unprecedented risks to global economies, supply chains, and trade. A forthcoming study from the journal Risk Analysis explores the cascading impacts of AI-driven cyberattacks. Unlike traditional cyberattacks, which are typically manual or scripted, AI-driven cyberattacks utilize AI and machine learning algorithms to enhance their effectiveness, stealthiness and adaptability. AI-driven cyberattacks […]

BIOFUELS COULD HELP ISLAND NATIONS SURVIVE A GLOBAL CATASTROPHE, STUDY SUGGESTS.

A major global catastrophe could disrupt trade in liquid fuels used to sustain industrial agriculture, impacting the food supply of island nations like New Zealand that depend on oil imports. A new study in the journal Risk Analysis suggests that New Zealand and other island nations dependent on imported fuel can plan for future emergencies […]

NEW STUDY REVEALS COVID-19 MAY HAVE ORIGINATED IN A LAB.

The origin of COVID-19 is highly debated – most studies have focused on a zoonotic origin, but research from the journal Risk Analysis, examined the likelihood of an unnatural origin (i.e. from a laboratory.)  The results indicate a greater likelihood of an unnatural than natural origin of the virus. The researchers used an established risk […]

MICROPLASTICS COME FROM EVERYWHERE – YES, FROM SEX TOYS TOO.

WASHINGTON, DC, December 13, 2023 – As more research reveals how many microplastic particles humans are ingesting and absorbing in their bloodstreams, Duke and Appalachian State researchers led by Joana Sipe and Christine Hendren have examined a source for microplastic absorption many would not have considered: sex toys. In a study originally published in Microplastics […]

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT U.S. RENTERSARE HIT THE HARDEST WHEN A HURRICANE STRIKES

Ten years of data indicate that a hurricane disaster leads to rent increases, higher eviction rates, and less affordable housing for renters WASHINGTON, DC, December 13, 2023 –With a severe shortage of affordable housing in the United States, renters living along the East and Gulf coasts are uniquely vulnerable to hurricane disasters. Two new studies […]

EARLY RESEARCH SHOWS GEN Z PERCEIVES MORE DANGER IN LIFE THAN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS.

WASHINGTON, DC, December 13, 2023 – There appears to be a common understanding that there is a mental health crisis among young people, but has society understood why? As presented at the 2023 Society for Risk Analysis Annual Conference, Gabriel Rubin from Montclair State University conducted 40 interviews with members of Gen Z (as of […]

HELPING MORE PEOPLE GET TO SAFETY IN A WILDFIRE

Scientists have developed a web-based tool to help communities design an optimal wildfire evacuation plan WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. 13, 2023 – Wildfires pose an increasing threat to communities at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) – where dry, flammable vegetation borders back yards, often in remote locations. Despite the well-known danger, many communities at highest risk do […]