Benjamin Preston directs RAND's Community Health and Environmental Policy Program . He specializes in climate risk and adaptation, and its flip side, disaster recovery and resilience.

What inspired you to go into this line of research?

I was trained as an environmental toxicologist but was really interested in how science is used in policy. That led me to get a job with an organization that worked on climate policy. Climate change is just another example of how human beings adversely impact the environment. It's a complex problem, and we need science to help understand the risks so we can better inform tough decisions.

You coauthored a 2019 Center for Climate and Energy Solutions report on how we might decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050. How feasible is that?

First, we need lots of technological change and innovation. We look around and say, “Oh, we have renewable energy! Look at the electric cars.” But we're going to need more innovation, technologies that aren't available now.

Second, regardless of which actors take the lead, at some point you really need everyone working together.

You've also written about the need to triage climate change. What did you mean?

Some things can't be saved; others are probably going to be fine no matter what. So you focus your energy on that middle ground where, if we don't do something, we're going to see a bad outcome; but if we do do something, we can actually make a difference.

What should individual communities be doing right now?

They really have to start thinking long-term.

Read the full article about climate policy at RAND Corporation.