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  • Sustainable Development

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    • James Rising

    Assistant Professorial Research Fellow

    James is an interdisciplinary modeler, studying the feedback between environmental and human systems, and focusing on the impacts of climate change and the water-energy-food nexus.  He draws upon analytical and empirical approaches from multiple fields and develops computational and statistical models to understand integrated global challenges.

    Background

    Prior to joining the Grantham Research Institute, James held postdoctoral positions at the Energy & Resources Group at UC Berkeley and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.  He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University’s program in Sustainable Development.  He previously taught within MIT’s Experimental Study Group and at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering.  He has also had a career as a software developer, working with over a dozen companies on audio and video processing, social networks, and artificial intelligence.

    Research Interests

    • Social-Environmental Modeling
    • Environmental and Resource Economics
    • Water-Energy-Food Nexus

    2019

    Research article  26 July, 2019

    Assessing future climate change impacts in the EU and the USA: insights and lessons from two continental-scale projects

    Climate change will impact many economic sectors and aspects of natural and human wellbeing. Quantifying these impacts as they vary across regions, sectors, time, and social and climatological scenarios supports … read more »
    Research article  24 June, 2019

    The small world of global marine fisheries: The cross-boundary consequences of larval dispersal

    Fish stocks are managed within national boundaries and by regional organizations, but the interdependence of stocks between these jurisdictions, especially as a result of larval dispersal, remains poorly explored. We … read more »
    Research article  1 March, 2019

    The USA water data gap - A survey of state-level water data platforms to inform the development of a national water portal

    Water data play a crucial role in the development and assessment of sustainable water management strategies. Water resource assessments are needed for the planning, management, and the evaluation of current … read more »

    2018

    Research article  21 November, 2018

    Accessibility across transport modes and residential developments in Nairobi

    A key goal of urban transportation planning is to provide people with access to a greater number of opportunities for interaction with people and places. Measures of accessibility are gaining … read more »
    Research article  10 October, 2018

    Mimi-PAGE, an open-source implementation of the PAGE09 integrated assessment model

    Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) have become critical tools for assessing the costs and benefits of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Three models currently inform the social cost of … read more »

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    2019

    Policy publications  20 September, 2019

    The missing economic risks in assessments of climate change impacts

    Economic assessments of the potential future risks of climate change have been omitting or grossly underestimating many of the most serious consequences for lives and livelihoods because these risks are difficult to quantify precisely and lie outside of human experience. This policy insight identifies and draws attention to these 'missing risks' and discusses how populations might fare in light of their potential to adapt in the face of these risks. read more »

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