An ELI Member Webinar
People, businesses, cities, and states are increasingly burdened by extreme weather events. While there may not be more weather events per year, drought, heat, wildfires, precipitation, hurricanes, and tornadoes are becoming more intense as Earth warms. Although some point towards lingering uncertainties on the linkage of climate change and extreme weather, others point towards an emerging trend: as Earth warms, extreme weather events are becoming more costly and more deadly.
In the United States from 1980-2009, extreme weather events resulted in an average of 268 fatalities per year and resulted in an annual average cost of $30.3 billion (adjusted for inflation). However, as extreme weather intensified, from 2010-2019, the average lives claimed per year jumped to 521 lives and the costs of these events ballooned to $80.2 billion on average per year. Stemming from these are costs are liabilities including insurance claims, fiduciary duty violations, adaptation concerns, and litigation. Extreme weather is putting increasing pressure on companies, cities, states, and the federal government to develop adaptation and resiliency strategies.
What resiliency and adaptation measures are local and state governments implementing in response to extreme weather? What are the leading strategies that companies and governments are developing in response to extreme weather, and what lessons can be learned? How is liability from extreme weather events affecting companies, as well as state and local governments? This ELI event explored these questions and dove into extreme weather adaptation and resiliency efforts in the United States.
Panelists:
Rebecca L. Kihslinger, Senior Science and Policy Analyst, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Paul A. Hanle, Project Leader, Climate Judiciary Project, Environmental Law Institute, formerly President and CEO, Climate Central
Aladdine Joroff, Staff Attorney and Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School
Sarah Kapnick, Deputy Division Leader, and Research Physical Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Edward Kussy, Partner, Nossaman LLP
Materials:
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