Abbey Abramson

  Case snapshots to anchor the journey (Philippines, Bangladesh, India) These brief vignettes foreshadow deeper dives in later chapters: Philippines — River dikes and barangay drainage Community monitors in multiple provinces have documented telltale signs of “value engineering” that quietly weakens structures: thinner wing walls, under-compacted backfill, and missing riprap. Post-typhoon inspections reveal early erosion where specifications were shaved. Independent integrity initiatives (open posting of project cards, community scorecards) have helped identify fixes before failure—evidence that civic oversight, when invited in, pays off. (We’ll connect these observations to IPCC-consistent increases in extreme rainfall intensity in Chapter 5.)  Bangladesh — Cyclone shelter retrofits and char-land forestry In coastal districts, the difference between a well-maintained shelter and a neglected one is the difference between safety and tragedy. Maintenance committees with transpar...

  The Cost of Carbon: Fossil Fuels and their Legacy The economic cost of carbon emissions has financial burdens on societies worldwide The Economic Cost of Carbon Emissions Being one of the most pressing issues of our time, the economic cost of carbon emissions reflects the direct and indirect financial burdens imposed on societies worldwide. Its major costs directly come from damages to infrastructure, disruptions to industries, public health expenses, and climate change inaction , among other factors. This sub-topic explores the multi-faceted economic costly impacts of carbon emissions, focusing on climate-related disasters, product and productivity losses, and the uneven burden on developing and developed countries. Direct Costs: Climate-Related Disasters and Infrastructure Damage ($275 billion globally) The economic costs associated with GHG emissions are clearly illustrated through various events created by hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires, among other climate-...