Studies
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Economic and social change in U.S. cities and urban areas: Research roundup
2013 review of studies relevant to metro reporting and coverage of U.S. cities.
What Is a Tree Worth? Green-City Strategies, Signaling and Housing Prices
2008 University of Pennsylvania study of the relationship between curbside tree plantings and property-value changes.
Road safety and motor vehicle accidents: Surveying global and U.S. data
2013 World Health Organization report and a survey of U.S.-related data that shed light on the continuing problems of motor vehicle accidents and related policy dynamics.
The health effects and costs of air pollution: Research roundup
2013 review of scholarship related to the health and economic impact of air pollution in the United States.
“Resource curse,” poverty and Appalachia; lessons in research, data and politics
2013 study from Ohio State University on the effects of coal mining and poverty in the Appalachia region.
Recent Land Use Change in the Western Corn Belt Threatens Grasslands and Wetlands
2013 study by the University of South Dakota published in PNAS on the rate and type of land conversion in the corn-growing areas of the Midwest and the impacts on erosion, wildlife and watersheds.
2013 review of research and article in the journal Science on the global energy consumption of Internet and communications technology.
2012 study in World Development on the transfer of Asian agricultural practices to Africa, and the outcomes of a pilot program.
Red Meat Consumption and Mortality
2012 study in Archives of Internal Medicine providing a definitive look at the strong connection between the eating of red meat and the chances of early death.
Innovation in Hybrid Spaces: 2011 U.N. Climate Summit and the Expanding Journalism Landscape
2013 study in Journalism on the converging practices of journalistic and advocacy organizations, as seen through the case of climate change-related coverage.
2013 study in Energy Policy on the relative cost-effectiveness of plug-in hybrid cars and a car-charging infrastructure.
2012 report from Harvard University on impact of the 2008 housing crash on low-income and minority individuals.
The Hard Truth About Telecommuting
2012 study from the University of Iowa and the University of Texas at Austin showing the complexity of this evolving work practice and the potential downsides of telecommuting.
Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent and LED Lamps
2009 OSRAM Opto Semiconductors study, comparing the environmental performance of incandescents, compact fluorescents and LEDs
Global Food Crisises, Food Insecurity and Measuring Hunger
2013 study in The World Bank Economic Review on key lessons learned from the 2008 food crisis and the widely divergent regional outcomes and effects.
Property Values, Parks, and Crime: A Hedonic Analysis in Baltimore, MD
2008 study in Landscaping and Urban Planning on the effect of crime levels and park proximity on property values in Baltimore.
National Transportation Safety Board: Report on Curbside Motorcoach Safety
2011 study by the NTSB of data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as interviews, compliance reviews and inspections.
Bus crashes in the United States: What does the research say?
2013 review of relevant research and data that can provide context for bus crashes.
Wind energy in the United States and globally: Research roundup
2012 roundup of recent research on issues related to onshore and offshore wind energy
Price and Expenditure Elasticities for Fresh Fruit in an Urban Food Desert
2012 study in Urban Studies on the availability of and demand for fruit and vegetables in a low-income neighborhood of Detroit.
Ten key issues for covering bicycling and bike infrastructure in your community
2013 research review of ideas for reporting on cycling in your community: 10 potential stories.
Climate change, natural disasters and community resiliency: Research roundup
2013 selection of recent research on the effects of climate change on the built environment and how individuals and communities can best adapt.
Creating a Smarter U.S. Electricity Grid
2012 study from MIT and the Sloan Foundation published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives on the benefits and liabilities of “smart grid” technologies.
Perspectives on winter woes and risks: Research roundup
Review of recently-published scholarly literature and government reports on winter weather and human activities.
Global Land and Water Grabbing
2013 study from the Polytechnic University of Milan and the University of Virginia on the growing rates of international land and water purchases by nations and corporations.
The End of Farm Labor Abundance
2012 study from the University of California, Davis, and El Colegio de Mexico on farm labor supply in the U.S. and Mexican migration patterns.
State of the Climate in America: 2012-13 data and research
2013 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the state of the climate of the continental United States for the year 2012.
U.S. residents, how they commute and what it costs: Research roundup
2012 roundup of recent research on issues related to the major commuting modes in the United States, including cars, public transit, bicycles, and walking.
The Role of Local Food Availability in Explaining Obesity Risk among Young School-aged Children
2012 study in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine casting doubt on whether access to healthful food is the key variable in explaining obesity trends among youth.
Global Changes in Diets and the Consequences for Land Requirements for Food
2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences on the problematic pace of global land consumption and agricultural output required to supply the world’s growing population.
Go Where the Money Is: Modeling Street Robbers’ Location Choices
2012 study in the Journal of Economic Geography on how street robberies cluster in certain areas, and why.
Fracking, shale gas and health effects: Research roundup
2012 review of scientific literature on potential health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to extract natural gas.
A Reconciled Estimate of Ice-Sheet Mass Balance
2012 study in Science on the true nature and extent of melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice masses.
Multiple Environmental Chemical Exposures to Lead, Mercury and PCBs Among Childbearing-Aged Women
2012 study from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island on the body burden and risk factors for U.S. women of child-bearing age.
Homicide as Infectious Disease: Using Public Health Methods to Investigate the Diffusion of Homicide
2012 study from Michigan State University published in Justice Quarterly on the diffusion of homicide clusters in a low-income city.
2010 policy paper in Science exploring the consequences of policies relating to the export of ivory from African countries.
Retail parking lots, environmental impacts and development policies: Research roundup
2012 roundup of recent academic studies on parking lots, impervious surface and other impacts of automotive use.
Going Green Together? Brownfield Remediation and Environmental Justice
2012 study by Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, on the prioritization in the cleanup of brownfields that receive federal grants and speed of remediation when initiated.
Gentrification and Low Income Neighborhoods: Entry, Exit and Enhancement
2010 study from the United States Census Bureau and New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy on gentrification and displacement.
Natural disasters, Hurricane Sandy and recovery efforts in the U.S.: Research roundup
2012 literature review of research and analysis relating to disaster recovery in the United States, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional and Electric Vehicles
2012 study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology on how electric cars stack up against those with traditional gas and diesel engines over their entire lifetimes.
Global Forecasts of Urban Expansion to 2030 and Direct Impacts on Biodiversity and Carbon Pools
2011 study by Yale University, Texas A&M, and Boston University on the global impact of low-density urban sprawl.
New views on urban communities and poverty in the U.S.: Research roundup
Roundup of recent studies on aspects of urban poverty and its impact on health, work and well-being.
Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate change knowledge: Research roundup
Roundup of recent studies on global warming, rising average temperatures, and public and private opinions on climate change.
Perception of Climate Change: Examining Extreme Temperatures
2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the change in probability of extreme weather events such as heat waves.
Tree and Impervious Cover Change in U.S. Cities
2012 study from the U.S. Forest Service and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry on the relative change in trees, shrubs and other greenery in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Alternative Policies to Increase Recycling of Plastic Water Bottles in the United States
2012 study from Duke and Vanderbilt on approaches to improving municipal recycling rates.
Drought in the United States: Policy Implications and Research Findings
2012 report from the Congressional Research Bureau on the history and current severity of U.S. national and regional droughts, including policy responses.
Comparing the Cell Phone Driver and Drunk Driver
2004 AEI-Brookings Joint Center study assessing the risks of using a cell phone while driving
The State of the Nation’s Housing 2012
2012 report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University on housing trends after the financial crisis.
2012 Report: Oil — The Next Revolution
2012 study from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center on how the production of oil may increase rapidly in the coming decade.
Expert Credibility in Climate Change
2010 study in PNAS analyzing the beliefs of more than 1,000 scientists about human-induced climate change.
Impact of Mobile Phone Coverage Expansion on Market Participation: Panel Data Evidence from Uganda
2009 study in World Development on how mobile technology can help farmers thrive.
Implications of Immigration Policies for U.S. Farm Sector and Workforce
2011 study in Economic Inquiry examine the effect of U.S. immigration policy on the flow of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico and subsequent economic and labor impacts.
Hotspot of Accelerated Sea-level Rise on the Atlantic Coast of North America
2012 study in the journal Nature Climate Change on rates of change in the ocean levels for the Northeastern United States.
Women’s Well-being: Ranking America’s Top 25 Metro Areas
2012 report by the Social Science Research Council on comparative well-being levels for women living in the metropolitan United States.
Comparing the Yields of Organic and Conventional Agriculture
2012 metastudy published in the journal Nature on the crop yields of organic and conventional farming.
Biodiversity Loss and Its Impact on Humanity
2012 metastudy in Nature on the implications of losses in biodiversity.
2012 paper from Northwestern University on the value of social networks for refugee job seekers in the United States.
Do Colleges and Universities Increase Their Region’s Human Capital?
2011 study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the dynamics between higher education and local economies.
Roads to Prosperity or Bridges to Nowhere? The Impact of Public Infrastructure Investment
2012 paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research uses data on highway spending measures to chart the large-scale economic effects of public infrastructure investments.
Commuting Distance, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Metabolic Risk
2012 study in American Journal of Preventive Medicine on the relationship between health and the length of study participants’ commutes.
Congressional Research Service: Renewable Energy in the United States
Renewable energy information from the 2011 Congressional Research Service report, “U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics.”
Congressional Research Service: Petroleum and Its Role in the U.S. Economy
Petroleum-related statistics from the 2012 Congressional Research Service report, “U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics.”
Congressional Research Service: Electrical Generation and Consumption in the United States
Electricity-related data from the 2012 Congressional Research Service report, “U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics.”
Summer Temperature Variability and Long-Term Survival Among Elderly People with Chronic Disease
2012 study from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Michigan published in PNAS on variations in summer temperatures and the elderly.
Economic Impact of Stadiums and Teams: The Case of Minor League Baseball
2011 study from the University of San Francisco on the effects of minor league baseball teams on community per capita incomes.
Prenatal Exposure to Pesticides Linked to Gestational Age and Birthweight
2012 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives on the relationship between maternal prenatal insecticide exposure and a child’s gestational age and birthweight.
Extreme Weather, Climate and Preparedness in the American Mind
2012 survey from Yale and George Mason about how Americans perceive increased extreme weather events and about views on the influence of global warming.
2012 study in the American Sociological Review on trends relating to partisan affiliation and trust in science.
School and Residential Neighborhood Food Environment and Diet Among California Youth
2012 study from the RAND Corporation on youth obesity and access to healthy food sources.
U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics
2012 report from the Congressional Research Service providing an overview of U.S. energy production and consumption.
Individual, Family and Neighborhood Characteristics and Children’s Food Insecurity
2012 study in the Journal of Applied Research on Children on the characteristics of children and families living in food-insecure neighborhoods in the United States.
Prenatal Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure and Child Behavior at Age 6-7
2012 study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives on the link between prenatal exposure to airborne pollutants and behavioral issues later in the children’s lives.
Oil Revenues for Public Investment in Africa: Targeting Urban or Rural Areas?
2011 study in Review of World Economics analyzing the case of Ghana to see how countries might avoid the so-called resource curse.
Long-term Perspective on Wildfires in the Western USA
2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the frequency of wildfires in the American West over the past 3,000 years and the implications for larger wildfires.
2012 study by the University of Toronto on the relationship between the skills used in a job and the salary for that job in a city of a given size.
The Geological Record of Ocean Acidification
2012 paper published in the journal Science on historic patterns in carbon dioxide and ocean acidification and the implications for the future.
The Water Footprint of Humanity
2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the total amount of water utilized by individuals and societies globally.
U.N. Report: Findings on e-Waste Problems in Africa
2011 United Nations report on the transfer, adoption and disposal of information communication technology in West Africa.
Financial Performance of the Major Oil Companies, 2007-2011
2012 Congressional Research Service report on business results for the five biggest U.S. oil companies over the past five years.
End of the Segregated Century: Racial Separation in America’s Neighborhoods, 1890-2010
2012 report by the Manhattan Institute on historical changes in the racial segregation of America’s neighborhoods.
Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from U.S. Cities
2011 study from the University of Toronto and London School of Economics on the relationship between infrastructure and automotive traffic levels.
Shifting Public Opinion on Climate Change: Factors Influencing Concern in the U.S., 2002-2010
2012 study in Climate Change on the drivers of U.S. public sentiment on global warming.
2012 study by MIT on the technological progress in automobiles since 1980 and the trade-offs between fuel economy, weight and power.
2012 study from the University of Nebraska examines how public outreach efforts by local authorities can increase satisfaction with government and use of tax dollars.
Demand for Whole-Grain Bread Before and After the Release of Dietary Guidelines
2010 study from the USDA’s Economic Research Service on the impact of governmental dietary targets.
Exploring the Impacts of Safety Culture on Immigrants’ Vulnerability in Non-motorized Crashes
2012 study in the Journal of Urban Health on the role of safety culture in census tract-level pedestrian and cyclist crashes in New York City.
2011 research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, San Francisco State University, Universidad de los Andes in Bogata, Universidad de Chile, University of Zurich, and other institutions.
Peer Effects in the Diffusion of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
2012 study by New York University and Yale on the peer-influence effects of installing solar panels within different ZIP codes.
Smallholder Diversification and Income Growth in Zambia
2011 study by University of Gothenburg in Journal of African Economies on Zambia’s structural economic changes.
2009 study in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing on the impact of fair trade on farmers’ quality of life.
Analysis of Health, Safety and Greening Vacant Urban Space
2011 study from the University of Pennsylvania on the community benefits of creating more green spaces in urban areas.
Trends in Daily Solar Radiation and Precipitation Coefficients of Variation Since 1984
2011 study in the online journal of the American Meteorological Society on long-term trends in sunshine and precipitation variability.
Impact of Juvenile Curfew Laws on Arrests of Youth and Adults
2011 paper in The American Law and Economics Review on youth curfews and crime rates.
IPCC: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation
2012 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the potential impacts of climate change and potential management strategies.
Energy and Economic Value of Non-recycled Plastics and Municipal Solid Wastes
2011 study by Columbia University’s Earth Engineering Center on the energy contained in discarded plastics and its economic value.
Evaluating Sugary Drink Nutrition and Marketing to Youth
Report by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity examining nutrition and market of sugary drinks.
Measuring Americans’ Concerns about Climate Change
2011 Stanford University study published in Public Opinion Quarterly on how the wording of questions on pressing issues facing society affects respondents’ answers.
Structure of Scientific Opinion on Climate Change
2011 study surveying and analyzing scientific opinion on issues of global climate change and its causes.
2011 study on global warming, coffee production and the proliferation of invasive species in East Africa.
Marijuana Use and Motor Vehicle Crashes
2011 metastudy on the link between marijuana use and risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Population of Bed Bugs Reveals Mechanisms of Resistance
2011 study in PLoS One on genetic mutations in bedbugs and resistance to insecticides.
Consumer Gadgets Wipe Out Gains in Energy Efficiency
2011 report by the United Kingdom’s Energy Saving Trust on trends in home energy consumption.
Genomic and Physiological Footprint of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Resident Marsh Fishes
2011 study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on the effects of oil exposure from BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster on gulf populations of killifish.
Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households
2011 report by the Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Program on the transit options of U.S. households without private vehicles.
Final Report on the Causes of the Macondo Well Blowout
2011 final report from the federal government on the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
Food Crises and Political Instability in North Africa and the Middle East
2011 paper correlates incidences of social unrest (as identified by news reports) with the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) global food price index between 2004 and 2011.
Economic Impacts of Non-Native Forest Insects in the Continental United States
2011 study on the types of introduced woodland pests and the economic costs they incur.
Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority
2011 report from the Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young on infrastructure in the U.S. and around the world, including current state of repair, initiatives in process, and ongoing challenges.
Effects of Teach for America in High School
Study in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management on the effects of Teach for America teachers on high school student performance
2010 Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations
2010 report by the Office of Management and Budget on financial effects of government oversight of the economy.
Manufacturing Jobs: Impact of Energy Prices, Environmental and Labor Rules
2010 study on how electricity prices, labor laws and environmental regulations affect where manufacturers locate.
Normalized Hurricane Damage in the United States: 1900-2005
2008 study analyzing storm-related property damage figures adjusted for inflation, wealth and population factors over time.
City Living and Urban Upbringing Affect Neural Social Stress Processing in Humans
2010 study in the journal Nature on the impact of city living on the brain’s ability to regulate and cope with stress.
Evolution of the U.S. Tornado Database: 1954-2003
2006 study by the American Meteorological Society on the history of U.S. tornado reports since 1954 and current tornado activity patterns.
Health Risks and Benefits of Cycling in Urban Environments Compared with Car Use
2011 study published in the British Medical Journal examining the health and environmental benefits of public cycling initiatives.
Oil and Gas Lease Utilization: Onshore and Offshore
2011 report by the U.S. Department of Interior on untapped potential of federal lands and waters.
2011 study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment on threats to the caribou population of Alberta’s oil sands region.
Fast Food Restaurants, Food Stores and Health
2011 study in Archives of Internal Medicine on links between proximity to certain types of foods and health outcomes.
United Nations IPCC Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change
U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report presenting the latest consensus science on temperature rise, its causes and future implications
Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men
2011 study in The New England Journal of Medicine on patterns of food consumption and exercise and their lifetime effects
Splendide Mendax: False Label Claims about High and Rising Alcohol Content of Wine
2011 study by the American Association of Wine Economists on accuracy of stated levels of alcohol content in wine.
Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone
Report by the United Nations Environment Program and World Meteorological Organization on the impact of black carbon and other substances on the climate and health.
Report in the journal Appetite on the results of two studies on people’s attitudes toward sweet flavors and the impact of sugary drinks on taste preferences
Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Function in Urban Cyclists
2011 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives on health effects experienced while cycling in traffic.
Preventing Wildfires: Fuel Treatment in Forests
2011 report from U.S. Forest Service on tree- and plant-thinning techniques used to reduce the chances of intense wildfires
The Prevalence, Severity and Distribution of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States
2011 study in the journal Pediatrics on the scope of food allergies among U.S. children.
Air Pollutants from Automotive Traffic Act on Glutamatergic Neurons
2011 study in Environmental Health Perspectives on responses in rodent brains to pollutants from highway traffic.
Displaced and Dispossessed of Darfur: Explaining Sources of Genocide
2011 report in the British Journal of Sociology on underlying and environmental factors that fueled the mass killing in Darfur.
Collective Efficacy and Major Depression in Urban Neighborhoods
2011 study in American Journal of Epidemiology on how depression rates are affected by types and qualities of city neighborhoods.
Population of Gray Catbirds in the Suburban Matrix
Study by researchers at Towson University and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute on survival rates and causes of death of gray catbirds
Missed Opportunity: Transit and Jobs in Metropolitan America
2011 study by Brookings Institution on how well public transportation networks line up with work commute needs
Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus
2010 study by the Yale Law School, George Washington Law School, and the University of Oklahoma on how values shape perceptions of expert agreement and truth
Body Norms and Fat Stigma in Global Perspective
2011 study in Current Anthropology on body norms and fat stigma worldwide
Community Information and Civic Engagement
2011 survey by Pew, Knight and Monitor Institute on how information sharing can spur community engagement and satisfaction
Energy Efficiency Limits by Housing Location, Type
2011 report by the EPA on how location factors into household energy use totals.
Best Car Safety Seat Positioning for Children
2007 study in Injury Prevention on car seat positioning and safety outcomes for children.
Assessment of the “Golden Hour” for Emergency Medical Services
2009 study in Annals of Emergency Medicine on medical service response times and survival rates among trauma victims
Methane and the Greenhouse-gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations
2011 study by Cornell University on uncounted greenhouse gas impacts of unconventional extraction and hydraulic fracturing.
Traffic Congestion and Infant Health: Evidence from E-ZPass
2011 study by Columbia University on reduced auto pollution through electronic tolls and effects on fetal health outcomes
Cultural Attractions, Human Capital and Economic Growth
2010 paper by the University of Munich on cultural sites and how they shape local economies.
Residential Construction Trends in America’s Cities
EPA report on shifts toward residential building in urban areas since the 1990s
Climate Impacts of Land-Use Change in China
2009 study in Climate Dynamics on climate impacts of land-use change in China
Food Packaging, Diet and BPA Chemical Exposure
2011 study in Environmental Health Perspectives on chemicals in food packaging and endocrine disruption.
Transgene Flow in Cotton Seed Production Fields
2010 study by the University of Arizona on the reasons for gene flow between fields planted with genetically modified cotton and those with traditional varieties.
Human Contribution to Precipitation Extremes
2011 study published in Nature combining observational and model-based data to explore how relationship between human-induced increases in greenhouse gases and increased weather extremes.
Chernobyl 20 Years On: Health Consequences
2006 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives on the response to and impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Transit Ridership and Gas Prices: Evidence from U.S., Australia
2008 study by the Transportation Research Record on correlation between fuel prices and public transportation usage
Impacts of Biofuel Targets on Land Use and Food Supply
2010 paper by the World Bank on increased demand for biofuels and its societal consequences
Which Places Are Growing? Seven Trends from 2010 Census
2011 report from Harvard Kennedy School on income and population data in the Census
Gasoline Prices and their Relationship to Drunk-Driving Crashes
2011 study for the Transportation Research Board on link between fuel prices and alcohol-related car accidents
Microbial Quality of Food in Poorer Communities
Study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on the conditions of fresh food in stores in lower-income neighborhoods
Thyroid Cancers in Ukraine Related to the Chernobyl Accident
2011 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives investigating the continued level of thyroid cancer risk among Chernobyl victims two decades later.
Tsunami Data Supports Forecast, Research and Mitigation
2008 chapter from Tsunami Science Four Years After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami measuring the action taken in creating and maintaining a Tsunami activity database.
Test of Forecasting Model on Japanese Earthquakes
2005 study in Pure and Applied Geophysics testing an earthquake forecasting model against the records of Japanese quakes over 36 years.
Risk of Injury for Bicycling on Cycle Tracks Versus in the Street
2010 study from the Harvard School of Public Health on the relative safety of on-street bicycle lanes and physically separated cycle tracks.
Energy Beverages: Content and Safety
2010 Mayo Clinic review of the contents and safety of energy beverages and sports drinks
History of Tsunami Research and Countermeasures in Japan
2009 report in the Proceedings of the Japan Academy detailing the nature of tsunami disasters over time and Japan’s responses
Effect of Local Weather on Perceptions about Global Warming
2012 study by New York University and Temple University on the link between local weather patterns and perceptions of climate change.
Energy Innovation and Competition Among U.S., China, India, Brazil
2010 study by the Council on Foreign Relations on issues of technology research and development among major countries
Genetically Modified Corn and Effects on Nearby Crops
2010 study in the journal Science examining the impact of genetically modified corn on neighboring un-modified crops
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes with Hybrid Electric Vehicles
2009 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on accidents involving hybrid cars and other forms of travel.
Peak Travel? Trends in Passenger Transport
2011 Stanford and UC Berkeley study on transportation trends and how they may impact predictions about future carbon emissions levels.
Have Disaster Costs Increased Due to Climate Change?
2011 metastudy by the Institute for Environmental Studies on results of 22 peer-reviewed studies on economic losses from weather events and their potential connection to global warming.
Claiming Health: Front-of-Package Labeling of Children’s Food
2011 report by the Prevention Institute examining the nutritional qualities of 58 children’s products with front-of-the-package labeling
Climate Change and Economic Growth: Evidence from the Last Half Century
2008 paper by researchers from Harvard, MIT and Northwestern University on the potential effect of climate change on nations’ economic growth.
Identifying Risk Factors for On-road Commuter Cyclists
2010 study by Monash University, Australia, on the risk factors that on-road commuter cyclists face from drivers.
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation by Agricultural Intensification
2010 Stanford University study on the effects of higher crop yields on greenhouse gas emissions.
Impact of Whaling on the Ocean Carbon Cycle
2010 study by the University of Maine and others on the effect the ability of whales to sequester carbon and the potential benefits of restoring whale populations.
Speed Cameras for the Prevention of Road Traffic Injuries and Deaths
2010 metastudy by researchers from the University of Queensland on the findings from 35 different studies of speed cameras.
Relationships Between Streetcars and the Built Environment
2010 study from the Transit Cooperative Research Program on recent streetcar systems and their development and land-use impacts.
Evaluating the Relative Environmental Impact of Countries
2010 study by researchers from Harvard, Princeton, the University of Adelaide, and the National University of Singapore on the environmental impact across a large set of countries.
Epidemiology of HIV Infection in Large Urban Areas in the United States
2010 study from the CDC and others on HIV/AIDS trends and ways to improve prevention and treatment programs.
Sustainable Water Management in the U.S. Southwest
2010 study from the Nature Conservancy Center for Science and Public Policy on patterns of stream-flow depletion across 18 Arizona watersheds and possible mitigation strategies.
Mega-Crises Lessons: BP Oil Spill, Financial Meltdown
2010 Brooklyn College paper on the some of the lessons that could inform future policy-making to avoid the repeat of similar crises.
New York City Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan
2009 study commissioned by the New York City Department of Transportation analyzing trends and causes of pedestrian-related car crashes.
Global Phytoplankton Decline Over the Past Century
2010 study published in Nature magazine on the change in the level of phytoplankton activity over the last 100 years.
Health Effects of the Gulf Oil Spill
2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the health of area residents and workers.
Do In-Kind Transfers Affect Health? Evidence from the Food Stamp Program
2009 Harris School of Public Policy paper on the effects of Food Stamps on recipients’ health
U.S. Immigrants and Bicycling: Two-wheeled in Autopia
2010 UCLA study on the relationship between bicycle use and riders’ immigrant status.
Hidden Health Costs of Transportation
2010 report by the American Public Health Association examining the external costs that automotive-transportation systems impose.
Nutrition Menu Labels May Lead to Lower-Calorie Children’s Restaurant Meals
2010 study looking at the potential effects on children’s diet of putting nutrition information on fast food items.
Direct and Indirect Costs of Food Safety Regulation
2008 Center for Economic Studies paper on the effects of federal food safety regulations and private actions on the cost of meat and poultry processing.
Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race?
2010 paper on the increased investment of key developing nations in the global production of clean-energy technology.
Tobacco Use Links With Child Malnutrition in Developing Countries
2009 Tufts University study on the relationship between household tobacco use and child nutrition.
How to Curb Sports Teams’ Demands for Free Public Stadiums
2008 Barry Law School paper looking at the relationship between stadiums and local economic activity.
Impact of Air Quality on Hospital Spending
2010 RAND Corporation study on the cost of medical care attributed to California’s failure to meet federal clean air standards.
What Drives Land-Use Change in the U.S.?
2008 paper by Harvard University and others looking at the economic and policy drivers of national land-use change.
Smoothing Effect of Carpool Lanes on Freeway Bottlenecks
2008 U.C. Berkeley study looking at the effect of carpool lanes on the number of person and vehicle hours traveled.
Global Versus Local Conservation for Endangered Bird Species
2010 study examining the challenges of coordinating small-scale and large-scale endangered-species lists.
The Suburbanization of Poverty: Trends in Metropolitan America, 2000 to 2008
2009 Brookings Institution study on the nature of the increase in poverty in the United States between 2000 and 2008.
Offshore Wind Power and Transmission Grid Expansion
Study by researchers from the University of Delaware and Stony Brook University on the potential of large-scale wind-farm networks.
Emissions and Costs of Electricity from Coal, Natural Gas, Wood Pellets
2009 study on the costs and potential benefits of substituting biomass for coal to generate energy.
The Greenness of Cities: Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Urban Development
2008 policy brief by the Rappaport Institute and Taubman Center that seeks to quantify carbon dioxide emissions across different metropolitan and suburban areas in the United States.
Did Highways Cause Suburbanization?
2008 Brown University paper examining the extent to which highways could explain rates of suburbanization within the U.S.
Geographic and Ethnic Patterns of Metropolitan Planning Boards
2006 Brookings Institution paper exploring exploring the potential for bias of metropolitan planning organizations.
Potential of Water Power in the Fight against Global Warming
2008 University of Missouri at Saint Louis paper exploring the potential for hydropower in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Comparing Price and Non-price Approaches to Urban Water Conservation
2008 Yale and Harvard University paper on the relative merits of policies to encourage efficient use of scarce water resources.
Mountaintop Mining Consequences
2010 study by the University of Maryland and other institutions on the long-term impacts of mountaintop coal mining.
Perceptions of Minority Residents on Coalition Building in South Los Angeles
2007 Tomas Rivera Policy Institute paper examining the sources of tension between African-Americans, Latinos and others in South L.A.
What Really Determines Whether a Manufacturing Firm Locates and Remains in California
2008 paper by California State University examines the state’s manufacturing job loss and explores possible solutions.
Case for Banning Subprime Mortgages
2008 paper by the Valparaiso University School of Law on mortgage interest rates and the potential role of the FHA in providing mortgages to low-income home buyers.
Global Potential for Wind-generated Electricity
2009 study by Harvard University and Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre
Reflective Surfaces in Urban Areas: Global Cooling?
2009 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on the potential benefits of increasing the reflectivity of urban surfaces such as pavement and roofs.
The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact
2009 study published in PLoS ONE assessing the U.S. food supply, consumption and waste.
2009 paper by the Pew Internet and American Life Project on the rate of cell phone use while driving among American teenagers.
Neighborhood Violence and Urban Youth
2009 National Bureau of Economic Research paper on the relationship between early exposure to violence and later problems such as substance abuse and delinquency
Stabilizing and Reducing U.S. Energy Consumption
Paper by the Widener University School of Law on approaches for realizing the potential benefits of energy efficiency.
After-school Programs’ Potential and Achievement
2008 review by the Harvard Family Research Project of available research on the relative benefits and required factors for success of after-school programs.
Valuing the Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power
2008 meta-study that examines more than 100 studies of greenhouse-gas emissions from nuclear power plants.
2010 report by the National Resource Council on the cost of the production and use of various forms of energy in the United States.
Impact of Railway Stations on Property Value
2007 meta-analysis by Amsterdam University of U.S. and international studies on transit stations’ effect on property values.
Bus Versus Rail: Costs, Capacities and Impacts
2009 University of Texas metastudy on the cost, operational characteristics, and land-use impacts of different mass-transit technologies.
Realistic Costs of Carbon Capture
2009 study by Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs on the cost of carbon sequestration and its long-term outlook.
Cost of Carbon Cap and Trade on the U.S. Economy
2008 meta-study by the Environmental Defense Fund of the economic cost of cap-and-trade legislation to combat climate change.
Can Catch Shares Prevent Fisheries Collapse?
2008 UC Santa Barbara and the University of Hawaii study on the effects of catch-share systems and their potential to reduce overfishing.
Ethanol: Law, Economics and Politics
2008 cost-benefit analysis by the Brookings Institution on corn-derived ethanol.
Genetically Engineered Seeds and Crop Yields
2009 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists analyzing more than a decade of peer-reviewed research on genetically modified crops
Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy
2009 McKinsey & Company study on the potential benefits of reducing U.S. energy consumption
Red-light Cameras for the Prevention of Road Traffic Crashes
2005 Imperial College London review of the available scholarship on red-light cameras
Policy Tools for Reducing Automotive Congestion and Emissions
2009 review by the World Bank of methods available for addressing transportation-sector emissions and congestion.
Hot Spots Policing and Crime Prevention: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
2005 Harvard University study on the effectiveness of "hot spot" policing strategies
Public Area CCTV and Crime Prevention
2009 meta-analysis of studies on the effectiveness of surveillance cameras against crime
