Jennifer Helgeson
Former PhD student
Jennifer’s PhD research topic is on individuals’ understanding and estimation of climate change-related risks.
Jennifer also holds the following positions:
- Economist in the Office of Applied Economics, Building & Fire Research Lab at the National Institute of Standards & Technology, USA;
- Co-director of the Environment and Economy Group for the Caux Human Security Forum;
- Writer for Climatico, which offers an independent analysis of climate change policy worldwide;
- Scientific committee member for the Integrated Risk Governance Project.
Background
Jennifer previously studied Environmental Economics at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, and Economics at Brandeis University, USA.
Research interests
The use of heuristics in individuals’ development of climate change-related risk perceptions and related actions;
- Long-term discounting;
- Risk/disaster management;
- Ethics within environmental economics;
- Micro-insurance/micro-franchise.
2013
Vulnerability to weather disasters: the choice of coping strategies in rural Uganda
When a natural disaster hits, the affected households try to cope with its impacts. A variety of coping strategies, from reducing current consumption to disposing of productive assets, may … read more »
2012
Vulnerability to weather disasters: the choice of coping strategies in rural Uganda
When a natural disaster hits, the affected households try to cope with its impacts. A variety of coping strategies may be employed, from reducing current consumption … read more »
The Role of Knowledge, Learning and Mental Models in Perceptions of Climate Change Related Risks.
Helgeson, J., van der Linden, S., and Chabay, I. (2012). In A. Wals & P. B. Corcoran (Eds). Learning for sustainability in times of accelerating change (pp. 329-346). Wageningen Academic … read more »
2011
Stochastic environments as measurement tools: a new approach
Research Muth, K.T., and Helgeson, J.F. March 2011. Stochastic environments as measurement tools: a new approach. The Journal of Applied Economy, v.5, ‘Microinsurance: a new way forward’.
2009
Siblings, not triplets: social preferences for risk, inequality and time in discounting climate change
Arguments about the appropriate discount rate often start by assuming a Utilitarian social welfare function with isoelastic utility, in which the consumption discount rate is a function of the … read more »
