Rice 1

Chase Rice

ENC 1102

February 22, 2020

What is the Financial Impact of Climate Change on Americans?

The motivation for this research paper is the conflicting opinions on climate change and
how severe the financial implications are. This continues to be one of the largest debates of my
lifetime and will likely continue for decades more, especially as technology allows green energy
to become cheaper and more efficient than fossil fuels. As my peers and I approach adulthood
and must make decisions on things such as insurance and housing, it is increasingly more
important to recognize possible impacts of climate change on our finances. Despite large
amounts of research onto climate change there is still not a clear consensus regarding how much
it can cost the public in the future, if anything. My paper will work to gather known information
about the costs of climate change and determine the cost of addressing these issues. This will
provide clear insight on what to do in the future to save money and improve life.
To begin the research project, I researched topics popular among the actuarial sciences
field and chose one I thought had personal implications and that I found interesting. After this I
completed my first draft of the research proposal where I created my first research question and
got a more specific idea of what I would be researching. Up to this point I have gathered and
went through over thirty sources to give myself a greater knowledge about the topic and
narrowed them down to twelve that will be most beneficial for my research paper. I have used
these sources to identify an area that does not have adequate research done and I am in the
process of further researching this niche to appropriately address my research question. Along
with this, I have formatted and annotated my sources that I will use in the paper.
In choosing the sources I would use, the most important thing was planning how the
information would be used, to ensure that I am not wasting a source. After this, I made sure there
was a variety of information from different perspectives and levels of credibility to get the
opinion of experts as well as the average person. This will be helpful in my paper, because it
allows me to view the issue from many different angles and eliminate bias.
An issue I have had is to get more than two perspectives on the issue. There is no
research I could find about the financial implications if climate change was not real, so instead I
chose articles that discussed why climate change is not real, as well as those that discuss why it
is. There is not another side to this so it is difficult to find another perspective, either climate
change is real and will cost a certain amount, or it is not real. Because of this I am not sure what I
must do to add another perspective. To address this problem, I have tried to research in between
the two perspectives to find a middle ground, but because of the nature of the topics there is not
necessarily a middle ground climate change cannot both be real and a myth. To address this, I
used sources from different backgrounds so that although there are two viewpoints, I have
different opinions amongst them. I also am trying to find a third perspective, but it has not
proven successful. Another challenge I have faced is understanding information in sources I have
found, because I have not yet begun my major specific courses and do not know the terminology.
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Research Proposal

Research Question / Thesis What is the Financial Impact of Climate Change on Americans?

Field Research / Internet / Library All of my research is from the internet because this is not a

widely researched topic and there is not many books on the subject.

Keywords Climate, Actuarial Climate Change, Climate Change, Insurance and Climate Change,

Actuarial Science and Climate Change

Timetable

Schedule:
Mon Feb 10, 2020
Assignment Revised Research Proposal Memo
Wed Feb 12, 2020
Assignment Inquiry and Researching Writing in the Disciplines
Mon Feb 17, 2020
Assignment Digital Paper Trail (DPT) 
Wed Feb 19, 2020
Assignment Responding to other Students' Writing 
Mon Feb 24, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft Research Dossier 
Wed Feb 26, 2020
Assignment Peer-Review Workshop 1 
Assignment Toulmin Model of Argumentation 
Mon Mar 2, 2020
Assignment A Rhetorican's View: Rhetorical Analysis 1
Wed Mar 4, 2020
Assignment Final Draft Research Dossier 
Assignment Rhetorical Analysis 2
March 6th, 2020 
Math test in Calculus and Trigonometry
Mon Mar 16, 2020
Assignment Rhetorical Analysis 3 
Wed Mar 18, 2020
Assignment Revision Strategies of Experienced Adult Writers 
Test in Economics
Mon Mar 23, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft Rhetorical Analysis 
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Wed Mar 25, 2020

Assignment Peer-Review Workshop 2 
Mon Mar 30, 2020
Assignment Pitch your TED Talk
Wed Apr 1, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft 1 Research Paper
Assignment Final Draft Rhetorical Analysis 
Fri Apr 3, 2020
Assignment Peer-Review Workshop Draft 1 Research Paper 
Mon Apr 6, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft 2 Research Paper 
Wed Apr 8, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft 3 Research Paper 
Fri Apr 10, 2020
Assignment Peer-Review Workshop Draft 3 Research Paper 
Test in Calculus and Trigonometry
Mon Apr 13, 2020
Assignment Workshop Draft Self-Assessment / Reflection 
Wed Apr 15, 2020
Assignment Final Draft Argumentative Research Paper
Assignment Peer-Review Workshop Draft Self-Assessment /Reflection 
Mon Apr 20, 2020
Assignment Course Evaluation
Assignment Extra Credit Opportunity 
Assignment TED Student Lounge 
Tue Apr 21, 2020 
Assignment TED Talk Presentations
Assignment E-Portfolios 
Assignment Feedback to Research Presentations
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Annotated Bibliography

Buis, Alan. “Study Confirms Climate Models Are Getting Future Warming Projections Right –

Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 9 Jan. 2020,

climate.nasa.gov/news/2943/study-confirms-climate-models-are-getting-future-warming-

projections-right/.

Content: Research from NASA shows that climate prediction models have been very
accurate over the last few decades.

Author: He is a science writer for NASA, the worlds leading space and research
program.

BEAM: This article is very reliable and shows little bias because the information is all
based on the temperature numbers from their research, gives evidence of climate change.

“Climate Change Denial.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2020,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_denial.

Content: This article provides background into what climate change denial and the
reasons for its popularity.

Author: Anonymous author, the text is based on research for dozens of sources.

BEAM: Possible bias against climate change deniers based on the tone of the article and
the choice of words, but regardless the article provides background information into this
perspective.
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Collomb, Jean-Daniel. “The Ideology of Climate Change Denial in the United States.” European

Journal of American Studies, European Association for American Studies, 2 Jan. 2014,

journals.openedition.org/ejas/10305.

Content: Provides a more in-depth view into climate change denial as opposed to the
brief description of it that Wikipedia gave.

Author: His credentials are not accessible online, but he has published two peer-
reviewed articles.

BEAM: Both of this authors peer reviewed articles are about climate change denial
which may show a slight bias because both are about climate change denial.

Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. “Annual Report 2016.” FHCF,

2016, https://www.sbafla.com/fhcf/Portals/FHCF/Content/Reports/Annual/2016_FHCF_

Annual_Report.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Content: Provides historical trends on hurricane statistics.

Author: There is no exact author named but it was written by the Florida Hurricane
Catastrophe Fund.

BEAM: No likely bias in this paper because it is about numerical data and not opinions.

Leahy, Stephen. “Hidden Costs of Climate Change Running Hundreds of Billions a

Year.” National Geographic, 12 Dec. 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/09/climate-change-costs-us-economy-billions-

report/.
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Content: Gives monetary information on the cost of burning fossil fuels and other
impacts from climate change.

Author: Stephen Leahy, writer for National Geographic

BEAM: National Geographic is a very popular and trusted news source that writes about
the world and nature.

Munich RE. “Extreme storms, wildfires and droughts cause heavy nat cat losses in 2018.”

Munich RE, Jan. 8, 2019, https://www.munichre.com/site/corporate/get/params_E-

1315651801_Dattachment/1708125/natcat-2018-global20190107_en.pdf (Links to an

external site.)

Content: Discusses insurance losses due to natural disasters such as storms, wildfires,
and droughts.

Author: Put together by unnamed sources at the insurance company Munich RE.

BEAM: Munich RE is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary

insurance and insurance-related risk solutions, and is a reliable source.

“New Report Finds Costs of Climate Change Impacts Often Underestimated " Yale

ClimateConnections.” Yale Climate Connections, 13 Nov. 2019,

www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/11/new-report-finds-costs-of-climate-change-

impacts-often-underestimated/.
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Content: Claims and provides evidence that the effects of climate change are actually
often underestimated.

Author: Dana Nuccetelli

BEAM: Dana Nuccetelli is an environmental scientist, and author of Climatology versus

Pseudoscience. He has published 10 papers related to climate change.

“r/AskReddit - Former Climate Change Deniers, What Changed Your Mind?” Reddit, 2018,

www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/5zvuxx/former_climate_change_deniers_what_ch

anged_your/.

Content: Reddit discussion about people who once did not believe in climate change and
now do.

Author: Anonymous users throughout the internet

BEAM: The source credibility is strong because although the sources are anonymous this
gives no reason to share false opinions and they are not discussing numerical evidence just
opinions on why the changed their minds, gives a strong view of both sides.

Rigor, Ignatius G., Roger L. Colony and Seelye Martin. 2000. “Variations in surface air

temperature observations in the Arctic, 1979–97.” Journal of Climate, 13(5), 896-914.

https://doi.org/10.1175/1520- 0442(2000)013<_x0030_896:VISATO>2.0.CO;2.

Content: Gives evidence of an increase in the air temperature in the artic, giving
evidence for climate change.

Author: Rigor, Ignatius G., Roger L. Colony and Seelye Martin

BEAM: Those authors have written over fifty research papers and had this paper peer
reviewed and published by the Journal of Climate. There is no apparent bias as the important
pieces of evidence are temperature readings.
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Roberts, David. “Why We Overestimate the Costs of Climate Change Legislation.” Grist, Grist,
29 June 2009, grist.org/article/2009-06-26-overestimate-costs-climate/.

Content: An opinion with a strong argument about why the cost of fixing climate change
is likely less than we think.

Author: David Roberts

BEAM: Writer of many nature books and conducted extensive research for this piece,
bias towards the belief climate change is real, evident by his lack of acknowlging the side

Rosa-Aquino, Paola. “Insurance Experts Rank Climate Change as Top Risk for 2019.” Grist,

May 3, 2019, https://grist.org/article/insurance-experts-rank-climate-change-as-top-risk-

for-2019 (Links to an external site.)

Content: Provides evidence on how important insurance experts view the impact of
climate change.

Author: Paola Rosa-Aquino

BEAM: She is a science writer that studied at Cornell University, she has been writing
about science for over two years for Grist, an online news website.

Tierney, John, et al. “Overheated: How Flawed Analyses Overestimate the Costs of Climate

Change.” Manhattan Institute, 23 Jan. 2020, www.manhattan-

institute.org/html/overheated-how-flawed-analyses-overestimate-costs-climate-change-

10986.html.
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Content: Describes the flaws with the current way of measuring the cost of fixing
climate change due to a focus on only one aspect and not accounting for humans ability to react.

Author: John Tierney

BEAM:  He is an American journalist and a contributing editor to City Journal, the
Manhattan Institute's quarterly publication. Previously he had been a reporter and columnist at
the New York Times for two decades since 1990.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Centre for Research on the

Epidemiology of Disasters. “Economic Losses, Poverty & DISASTERS 1998–2017.” CRED and

UNISDR, 2018, https://www.unisdr.org/files/61119_credeconomiclosses.pdf (Links to an

external site.)

Content: Provides historical data on the cost of natural disasters throughout the world for
twenty years.

Author: Written by the United Nations by many members.

BEAM: Very credible source, written by an organization comprised of members from

nearly every country and is focused on numerical data.