WHAT: Almost five years since Category 5 Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island has been hit by Category 1 Hurricane Fiona. While not as strong as Hurricane Maria, Fiona still knocked out power to the entire island and major flooding has devastated infrastructure around the island.

American University has scholars available to comment on climate economics, disaster preparedness, climate change and climate risks, community resilience to natural disasters and the role of the private sector in disasters.

WHEN: September 20, 2022 - ongoing

WHO: Available American University experts include:

• Jennifer Oetzel is a professor in the Kogod School of Business, her research and teaching focuses on social, economic and environmental sustainability. Specifically, she looks at how companies can reduce business risk by promoting economic, social, and environmental development as well as peace building in countries where they operate. Oetzel is an expert in disaster preparedness, the role of the private sector in natural disasters, and risk mitigation and management.
• Kara Shuster Kokernak is an adjunct assistant professor in AU’s Department of Environmental Science and a sustainability manager at RE Tech Advisors, LLC, a real estate investment advisory firm that operates at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and buildings. Shuster Kokernak is experienced in sustainable building practices as well as corporate sustainability portfolio management and offers expertise and assistance on developing ESG and sustainability programs. Her professional goal is to help clients adapt to impending climate change and ensure their buildings and assets are resilient and safe. Shuster Kokernak can discuss climate change and climate risk, building and community-level resilience to weather events, and future planning scenarios. 
• Alexander Golub teaches in AU’s Department of Environmental Science. He has 25 years’ experience in environmental and natural resource economics and climate finance and policy and can provide expertise on topics within the realm of climate risk assessment and climate policy design. He can discuss the social cost of carbon: how to properly estimate climate risk addressing uncertainty; the economics of green transition: why we still need a carbon tax or cap and trade if carbon-free technologies become competitive with fossil fuel technologies; why ESG is not enough to motivate businesses to move capital into carbon-free and environment-improving technologies; aspects of REDD+; economics of hydrogen production: why the U.S. may become the world leader on the hydrogen market.
• Paul Bledsoe is an adjunct professorial lecturer at the Center for Environmental Policy at American University's School of Public Affairs. He was director of communications of the White House Climate Change Task Force under President Clinton from 1998-2001, communications director of the Senate Finance Committee under Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and special assistant to former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. He can discuss issues related to climate change and climate risks.