Risky Business and its principals have continued to receive press coverage through the fall.
In October, Risk Committee member Greg Page addressed Kansas University on the need to prepare for climate change, and has spurred influential regional media to write on climate. Coverage of the event included the Topeka Capital Journal, which called for “more investment in sustainable growing and climate research, while acknowledging the political challenges to addressing a warming world.” Greg Page was also featured in the agricultural publication The Western Producer in December, “Page said climate-based yield loss can be mitigated through continued investment in technology and prudent government policies around the world.” The St Louis Post-Dispatch, another major regional outlet, also covered the risks to farmers due to climate change, “USDA research and other analyses such as the Risky Business report, are causing industry leaders to take a closer look at climate change.”
As a testament to the evergreen value to our regional reports, in November the Huffington Post quoted our Southeastern US and Texas report: “According to the Risky Business Project, unmitigated climate change could accelerate the impact of floods, heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes and water scarcity in Texas, leading to economic losses as well as loss of lives.”
The Houston Chronicle used the Risky Business reports to explain how the rising temperatures will change landscaping developments for Texas: “Not only will our air-conditioning bills dent our pocketbooks, the heat will be tough on our yards, gardens, parks and public green spaces.”
The reports that the Risky Business Project has published cover several climate risks on a regional level, including specific metro areas of California, states in the Southeast and states in the Midwest, which is why media outlets such as Channel 7 WWSB, the Real Deal Magazine and the Morning News have each cited Risky Business in recent reports. These local papers are crucial for reaching persuadable Americans who do not necessarily follow elite press.
In addition to the news coverage, opinion pages have taken notice. in an op-ed for the Huffington Post, Mike Bloomberg writes about the COP21 in Paris and explains, “Mayors and business leaders increasingly see climate change in pragmatic terms. After all, most of the world’s cities and businesses lie on coastal lands that are threatened by sea-level rise. Protecting against storms that flood cities and factories and disrupt shipping and transportation is simply a matter of smart risk management for both cities and businesses.” He identifies that this is why business leaders should get involved in combatting the climate change problem.