New research by scholars, conservationists and the insurance industry shows that coastal wetlands provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of protection from flooding, boosting the case for protecting them.
When children test their own boundaries in thrilling play, they develop self-confidence, resilience and risk management skills
Did you know there has never been a safer time to be a child in Canada? Research shows that kids need freedom outdoors to explore exhilaration and fear, and discover their own limits.
The right questions and planning can help universities to mitigate risk.
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Risk has to do with uncertainty; people struggle to conceptualise and manage that which they’re unsure about. This is true in the higher education sector, too.
Women in senior positions at banks are just as likely to take risks as their male colleagues.
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BP’s plans for the Bight say it would take 10 days to begin dispersing an oil spill at source, and 35 days for well-capping equipment to reach the site – making it likely that oil would hit the coast.
The 2010 Gulf of Mexico blowout prompted a technical review, but what about corporate soulsearching?
EPA/US Coast Guard
As BP plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, questions can be asked about whether it has made the right changes to its working practices to avoid a repeat of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster.
The increasing use of social media in the financial sector has made it difficult for companies to exercise control, while at the same time allow employees freedom of expression in the workplace.
An estimated 5,800 homes and businesses have been flooded in England and Wales this winter, now officially the wettest ever. By comparison, the total was 55,300 properties after the 2007 summer floods…
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim warns investors not to ignore climate risks.
EPA/Chris Kleponis
If you haven’t heard about the growing campaign for fossil fuel divestment, and what it means for both your retirement funds and for the global economy, it’s time to pay attention - because now even the…
It’s better to plan for disaster than have to plan a clean up after one.
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Modern safety engineering follows the aphorism, “there is no such thing as zero risk, only acceptable risk”. However, calculating chances and risk is a finicky process, especially when played out against…
Prior to the global financial crisis, 100% loans were commonplace in Australia.
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Australian banks are much more heavily exposed to mortgage lending than banks in most parts of the world, which is why the latest publication of APRA data on home lending has set the hares running. The…
Framing with disaster may not be the best option.
Lone Primate
How does newspaper coverage affect how we view climate change? A new report has estimated that 82% of articles about climate change are framed in the context of “disaster” and “uncertainty”. The report’s…
To assess the risk of a schizophrenic attack, we try to work out the risk of a rare event in a bunch of people with a mixed bag of symptoms.
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A violent attack by someone who is mentally ill quickly grabs the headlines. And it’s usually implied that mental illnesses are a preventable cause of violent crime. Tackle that and we can all sleep safer…
Putting panels on your roof reduces your power bill, but it also reduces the risk of price rises for everyone on the network.
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How much would you pay to avoid another $250 a year hike in your electricity bill? Does $15 a year sound like too much to reduce that risk? We’ve heard a lot lately about rising electricity prices. That’s…
Recent news that HSBC executives admitted to allowing Iran, terrorists and drug dealers to launder nearly USD$16 billion over a six-year period would make earth underneath you shake. How is that the bank’s…