Board on Environmental Change and Society

Webinar

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Insurance as Adaptation

December 12, 2025

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (EST)

Register

Upcoming

About

Financial losses due to extreme weather events are increasing. Insurers, states, and the federal government are all part of an extensive insurance and recovery system in the U.S. Along with homeowners, utilities, infrastructure managers, and others all absorb some portion of risk of loss due to extreme weather. This system is becoming financially unsustainable and unable to appropriately respond to the current risk landscape. The way to repair the system may appear to be a straightforward economic solution, but the range of responses in terms of how to share and mitigate risk are driven by a mix of business interests, policy, household economics, individual risk perception and tolerance, and shared community attitudes.

This webinar series will summarize the growing body of scientific research on these issues, examine it in the current context of escalating risk and increasing and compounding losses, and identify areas of further research as we discuss potential ways forward.

The final webinar in the series will address insurance more broadly as a form of adaptation, and the limits to insurance in terms of spreading risk and risk reduction, its business model, and resilience for individuals and communities. Questions to explore include:

What are the limits to the idea of insurance as adaptation? What are the opportunities there?

How do we configure a broader range of actions, including insurance, that creates a safer world?

What are alternative ways to manage risk if insurance is no longer available, particularly for those who would be most impacted by loss of insurance?

Speakers:

Carolyn Kousky
Associate Vice President, Economics and Policy Analysis
Environmental Defense Fund

Jason Thistlethwaite
Associate Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
University of Waterloo

Mark Bove
Natural Catastrophe Solutions Manager
Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.

Moderator:

Adelle Thomas
Senior Director, Climate Adaptation, Environmental Health
Natural Resources Defense Council

Organizing Project

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance Webinar Series

Contact

Stacey Giroux Wells

(202) 334-2410
sgirouxwells@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Infrastructure, Utilities and Who Pays

December 1, 2025

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (EST)

Past

Materials

About

Financial losses due to extreme weather events are increasing. Insurers, states, and the federal government are all part of an extensive insurance and recovery system in the United States. Homeowners, landlords, utilities, infrastructure managers, and others all absorb some portion of risk of loss due to extreme weather. This system is becoming financially unsustainable and unable to appropriately respond to the current risk landscape. The way to repair the system may appear to be a straightforward economic solution, but the range of responses in terms of how to share and mitigate risk are driven by a mix of business interests, policy, household economics, individual risk perception and tolerance, and shared community attitudes.

This webinar series will summarize the growing body of scientific research on these issues, examine it in the current context of escalating risk and increasing and compounding losses, and identify areas of further research as we discuss potential ways forward.

The second webinar will focus on infrastructure and will explore the different and sometimes competing interests and incentives for utilities, insurers, and communities, given the need to better prepare for extreme weather events. We will examine questions like long-term preparedness for extreme weather and changing environmental conditions, funding and financing, and the impact of shared and differing narratives on these issues.

To register:

https://events.nationalacademies.org/46068_12-2025_extreme-weather-events-and-insurance-infrastructure-utilities-and-who-pays

Speakers:

Michael Mastrandrea
Research Director, Climate & Energy Policy Program, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Stanford University

Matthew Ries
Vice President, Strategy and Performance
DC Water

Adie Tomer
Senior Fellow, Brookings Initiative on Climate Research and Action
Brookings Metro

Moderator:

Bilal Ayyub
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Maryland

Organizing Project

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance Webinar Series

Contact

Stacey Giroux Wells

(202) 334-2410
sgirouxwells@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Households, Homeowners, and Risk

October 16, 2025

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

Panelist Bios

About

Financial losses due to extreme weather events are increasing. Insurers, states, and the federal government are all part of an extensive insurance and recovery system in the United States. Homeowners, landlords, utilities, infrastructure managers, and others all absorb some portion of risk of loss due to extreme weather. This system is becoming financially unsustainable and unable to appropriately respond to the current risk landscape. The way to repair the system may appear to be a straightforward economic solution, but the range of responses in terms of how to share and mitigate risk are driven by a mix of business interests, policy, household economics, individual risk perception and tolerance, and shared community attitudes.

This webinar series will summarize the growing body of scientific research on these issues, examine it in the current context of escalating risk and increasing and compounding losses, and identify areas of further research as we discuss potential ways forward.

The first in the series will focus on households and homeowners, considering the insurance crisis for property owners, risk tolerance, what drives decisions about where people choose to live, and community dynamics that can help or hinder risk mitigation, adaptation, and disaster preparedness.

Speakers:

Rebecca Elliott
Associate Professor of Sociology
London School of Economics and Political Science

Max Besbris
H.I. Romnes Associate Professor of Sociology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Carlos Martín
Vice President, Research and Policy Engagement
Resources for the Future

Organizing Project

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance Webinar Series

Contact

Stacey Giroux Wells

(202) 334-2410
sgirouxwells@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Opportunities for Doing Social-Environmental Research with Little to No Funding

September 22, 2025

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Past

Agenda

Download the Agenda

Materials

About

Graduate students, post-docs, and early-career faculty engaged in social-environmental research face an unprecedented research landscape. Decreased federal research funding will constrain their ability to continue their personal research programs, from dissertations to faculty research plans. Low-cost primary data collection, re-analysis of secondary data, creative use of available datasets, meta-analysis of existing studies, and localized field work can all be potential solutions. The Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN), the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS), and the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will host a webinar that showcases practical, low-cost methods to sustain meaningful environmental and societal research during times of limited financial support. The webinar is aimed at supporting graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career faculty in environmental, social science, and associated disciplines.

Contact

Annie DiRenzo

sean@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

AI, Energy Demand, and the Environment: Perspectives on Information Sharing

August 15, 2025

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

About

The projected growth in electricity demand from AI-driven data centers challenges climate mitigation, water resources, and low-cost electricity goals. Many research studies and policy responses focus on how to supply the projected electricity needed for growing use of AI while reducing environmental and other costs, but there has been less focus on the demand side of AI use.

This webinar, hosted by the Societal Experts Action Network in collaboration with the Board on Environmental Change and Society, will bring together social science and industry experts to discuss topics related to consumer and corporate use of AI, what role environmental information sharing might play in consumer and corporate behavior, and the insights social science can provide to help achieve the economic and environmental goals of both consumers and firms.

Contact

Annie DiRenzo

sean@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 3 - The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks

April 10, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Environmental Health Matters Initiative organized a webinar series to explore human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment.

The third webinar in the series aimed to inform the public and the scientific research community about the potential hazards associated with microplastics, drawing on documented studies and scientific evidence. It explored the harmful characteristics that researchers and stakeholders may consider in future studies.

Additionally, speakers discussed established methodologies for risk assessment while examining the complexities, uncertainties, and challenges involved in evaluating risks. This webinar aimed to lay a foundation for the development of a comprehensive and standardized framework for assessing microplastic-related risks, which can inform research priorities and downstream decision-making.
The webinar featured presentations from Todd Gouin (TG Environmental Research), Philip Landrigan (Boston College), and Stephanie Wright (Imperial College London), followed by a multisectoral panel discussion between the speakers and Valerie Hanley (California Department of Toxic Substances Control).

PAST WEBINARS - The webinar series: Exploring Exposure and Related Health Effects ran between February and June 2025.

Webinar #1: Methodologies for appropriate and improved sampling, analysis, characterization, monitoring, and reporting of microplastics. Date: February 27
Webinar #2: The Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways. Date: March 20

Please submit your feedback using this post event questionnaire, we'd love to hear from you!

Organizing Project

Microplastics Webinar Series: Exploring exposure and related health effects

Contact

EHMI Staff

ehmi@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 2 – Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways

March 20, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Environmental Health Matters Initiative organized a webinar series to explore human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment.

The second webinar of the Microplastics & Health webinar series aimed to promote awareness and provide a standard baseline understanding of microplastics' distribution in the environment and the most prevalent sources or hotspots of human exposure. Specifically, speakers and panelists highlighted the major exposure pathways (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact) and identified which pathways pose the highest risk to human health. The goal was to bridge scientific findings with policy and regulatory frameworks by identifying data gaps, research priorities, and regulatory strategies that can mitigate microplastic exposure and inform downstream decision-making.

The webinar featured presentations from Bart Koelmans (Wageningen University) and Tracey Woodruff (University of California, San Francisco) followed by a multisectoral panel discussion between the speakers and Matthew MacLeod (Stockholm University) and Jane Muncke (Food Packaging Forum).

PAST WEBINARS - The webinar series: Exploring Exposure and Related Health Effects ran between February and June 2025.

Webinar #1: Methodologies for appropriate and improved sampling, analysis, characterization, monitoring, and reporting of microplastics. Date: February 27
Webinar #3: The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks. Date: April 10

Please submit your feedback using this post event questionnaire, we'd love to hear from you!

Organizing Project

Microplastics Webinar Series: Exploring exposure and related health effects

Contact

EHMI Staff

ehmi@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 1 – Methodologies for Appropriate and Improved Sampling, Analysis, Characterization, Monitoring, and Reporting of Microplastics

February 27, 2025

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM (EST)

Past

Materials

Dr. Walker-Franklin and Dr. Hankett Presentation

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Environmental Health Matters Initiative organized a webinar series to explore human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment.

The first webinar promoted awareness and provide a standard baseline understanding of microplastics' critical characteristics and associated future research direction. Specifically, speakers and panelists highlighted best practices and considerations for the collection, measurement, and characterization of microplastics in different media. They also explored the latest scientific findings that could enhance the comparability, reproducibility, and transparency of future microplastic research, providing crucial insights to inform downstream decision-making.

The webinar featured two presentations from Jeanne Hankett (BASF Corporation) and Imari Walker-Franklin (RTI International) followed by a multisectoral panel discussion between the speakers and Alessio Gomiero (NORCE Microplastics Center) and Leah Thornton Hampton (Southern California Coastal Water Research Project).

PAST WEBINARS - The webinar series: Exploring Exposure and Related Health Effects ran between February and June 2025.

Webinar #2: The Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways. Date: March 20
Webinar #3: The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks. Date: April 10

Please submit your feedback using this post event questionnaire, we'd love to hear from you!

Organizing Project

Microplastics Webinar Series: Exploring exposure and related health effects

Contact

EHMI Staff

ehmi@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Developing and Assessing Ideas for Social and Behavioral Research to Speed Efficient and Equitable Industrial Decarbonization - Stakeholder Webinar

October 3, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

Interest in decarbonizing various sectors of the U.S. economy has produced a rich body of scholarly research, policy studies, and practitioner reports on technology pathways and scenarios, with a particular focus on the power sector, vehicles, and buildings. The research on nontechnological issues associated with decarbonization is much sparser in general, and this is particularly true for the difficult-to-decarbonize industrial sector. In February 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a public workshop designed to inform the development of ideas for a national interdisciplinary social sciences research agenda relating to an efficient and equitable clean energy transition in the U.S. industrial sector. The workshop planning committee solicited and commissioned several papers aimed at outlining key societal challenges and needs that require social science insights and tools to build a social compact for industrial decarbonization. At the workshop, an interdisciplinary group of social scientists, engineers, community groups, and experts from industry and government explored the social science research needs on these issues. This proceedings of the workshop describes the presentations and discussions.

Organizing Project

Developing and Assessing Ideas for Social and Behavioral Research to Speed Efficient and Equitable Industrial Decarbonization: A Workshop

Contact

Joshua Lang

(202) 334-2042
jlang@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #15)

September 11, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The planning committee will work out any final details before the workshop.

Organizing Project

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop

Contact

Anne Manville

AManville@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #14)

September 4, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The committee will continue to plan the meeting

Organizing Project

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop

Contact

Anne Manville

AManville@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Environmental Health Matters Initiative: Introduction to Microplastics and Health Implications: Where are we and where are we going?

August 28, 2024

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

About

Thank you for joining us for an interactive discussion on human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment

This event was organized by the Environmental Health Matters Initiative in collaboration with the Roundtable on Plastics.

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long and have a variety of sources, including from the breakdown of larger plastic products, personal care products, and industrial processes. They are persistent in the environment and contribute to soil, land, and water pollution. Recent studies have detected microplastics in many human tissues and have been linked to systemic health effects such as inflammation and other health issues, but how dangerous they are still lacks evidence-based answers. This webinar is intended to provide a baseline of information on microplastics, the concerns, how complex this issue is, and our starting point for assessing human health risks.

A moderated discussion between Margaret Spring (Monterey Bay Aquarium) and Robert Ellis-Hutchings (The Dow Chemical Company) covered what we know about microplastics and their health implications. This conversation was followed by a multisectoral panel discussion with Susanne Brander (Oregon State University) Imari Walker-Franklin (RTI International), Anil Patri (FDA), and Scott Coffin (CA OEHHA). This conversation brought to bear what has been tried worldwide, successfully or not, the lessons to draw upon, and the path forward to bridging research gaps in science and data to inform hazard, exposure, and health risks from microplastics.

The conversation was recorded and is available below. Please also see our program news covering significant takeaways from this webinar.

The Environmental Health Matters Initiative is a forum that aims to equitably improve the health of all people through evidence-based solutions to environmental health issues. The Roundtable on Plastics explores and advances systemic solutions and interventions across each stage of the life cycle to catalyze the development of innovative solutions to the plastic pollution and waste problem.

Contact

Christl Saunders

ehmi@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #13)

August 28, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The committee will continue to plan the workshop.

Organizing Project

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop

Contact

Anne Manville

AManville@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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My Academies

Board on Environmental Change and Society

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Insurance as Adaptation

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Infrastructure, Utilities and Who Pays

Extreme Weather Events and Insurance: Households, Homeowners, and Risk

Opportunities for Doing Social-Environmental Research with Little to No Funding

AI, Energy Demand, and the Environment: Perspectives on Information Sharing

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 4 - Research Priorities, Mitigation Strategies, and Public Communication in the Face of Uncertainties

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 3 - The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 2 – Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 1 – Methodologies for Appropriate and Improved Sampling, Analysis, Characterization, Monitoring, and Reporting of Microplastics

Developing and Assessing Ideas for Social and Behavioral Research to Speed Efficient and Equitable Industrial Decarbonization - Stakeholder Webinar

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #15)

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #14)

Environmental Health Matters Initiative: Introduction to Microplastics and Health Implications: Where are we and where are we going?

Macroeconomic Implications of Decarbonization Policies and Actions: A Workshop (Committee Meeting #13)