Climate Appraisal Services, LLC, the nation's first online, address-based climate and environmental-risk-reporting service, now has three scientists from The University of Arizona as partners and Science Advisors.
Easton, Conn. (PRWEB) March 20, 2007 -- Climate Appraisal Services, LLC (
www.ClimateAppraisal.com), the nation's first online, address-based climate and environmental-risk-reporting service, now has three scientists from The University of Arizona as partners and Science Advisors. This innovative partnership was approved by the Arizona Board of Regents on March 8, 2007. Climate Appraisal Services, LLC, offers free and low-cost appraisal reports of climate and environmental risks for any address in the continental United States.
"I am extremely pleased about our unique partnership approval with three leading scientists from The University of Arizona," said David H. Purcell, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Climate Appraisal Services, LLC. "This partnership now enables Climate Appraisal Services to feature Science Advisor research and address-based commentary throughout our reports".
Purcell said, “Climate Appraisal Services can literally bring home potential address-specific environmental risks for consumers by putting leading-edge scientific data at their fingertips. We believe that everyone has the right to know climate information at its most personal level – a singular property address, an address that they may even call home."
UA geoscientist Jonathan T. Overpeck said he did in-depth research before purchasing his current Tucson house in the late 1990s. "When I bought my house, I did all the research myself on the Web. It took me weeks -- and I didn't find all the information we now provide through CASL," said Overpeck, lead science advisor for CASL and director of The University of Arizona's Institute for the Study of Planet Earth. "This is one-stop shopping for this kind of information. We provide it with the click of a mouse."
CASL charges $30 for a Premium climate and environmental risk report for a particular address. The company's Web site also provides free educational material about climate change and a free Standard report that includes shoreline reduction information at a national level. The address-based Premium Report contains information on the possible impacts of global warming, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, drought, floods, industrial pollution and disease. The analysis combines historical data and state-of-the-art forecasting science.
One of the company's missions is to increase public understanding of climate change and other environmental issues. Therefore, at least fifty percent of CASL's net profits will fund new environmental research, with oversight from the Science Advisors. CASL will make the resulting information available for non-commercial use after peer review. "The education aspects of the model are important to all of us, and the scientific research give-back is also very important," Purcell said.
Overpeck, a UA professor of geosciences and of atmospheric sciences; Susan L. Beck, a UA department head and professor of geosciences; and Andrew Comrie, a UA professor of geography and regional development, are non-salaried partners, board members and the science advisors comprising the Scientific Advisory Committee for Climate Appraisal Services, LLC. The scientists have equity interest in the company.
The four partners see the venture as a way to educate people about climate change and environmental issues, while simultaneously providing them with information they need to assess the risk to an individual property. “Sea-level rise and shoreline reduction is only part of the climate change story. New studies also point to the likelihood of more intense hurricanes, a worsening wildfire season in many locations, and greater drought-related climate impacts,” Overpeck said. “Climate Appraisal Services represents an innovative new way to get important environmental science communicated to the public."
Entrepreneur Purcell got the idea for CASL in the spring of 2006 when he saw post-climate-change sea-level maps that Overpeck and UA geoscientist Jeremy Weiss had created. Purcell and his wife had over the years been discussing buying a beach-front home. However, he wanted to learn more about how climate-driven-changes in coastlines would affect the future value of shoreline homes. His search led him ultimately to the idea and business model concept for CASL.
"I was looking for the top scientists in climate change," Purcell said. "I had a business model concept, and it required leading scientists' involvement to bring it to life." Purcell sought out Overpeck. Overpeck, on sabbatical in the Colorado Rockies, was focused on writing a book on climate change, not on pursuing business ventures. Purcell offered to fly from Connecticut to Colorado so the two could talk face-to-face for one-half hour. The two met at the public library in Telluride, Colo. One-half hour stretched to three -- and CASL was born.
The two agreed that CASL's primary mission would be to advance the public's understanding of climate change and environmental science. Overpeck said, "When he first came to me, he was really pushing the idea that we could make a real difference by bringing our information to the ‘home' level." That appealed to Overpeck, who was searching for new ways to inform the general public about the risks of climate-related environmental change and motivate people to take their own actions to mitigate it. He recruited Beck and Comrie. Beck specializes in seismology, tectonics and geological hazards, and Comrie specializes in air quality science, climatology and climate and health. Overpeck said, "Now people can have much the same information the insurance companies have when they assess the risks of a property."
The University of Arizona story about the partnership can be seen at:
http://uanews.org/spots/sci-13677.html.
About Climate Appraisal Services, LLC
Easton, Connecticut-based Climate Appraisal Services, LLC is the only address-based comprehensive online source that provides information on natural and man-made climate change events using historical data and state-of-the-art climate-modeling forecasting. A full appraisal report projects potential changes to a location's environment in the areas of global warming and other natural and man-made phenomena such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, droughts, wildfires, floods, industrial pollution and disease.
More than half of Climate Appraisal's net profits will be reinvested in new science research and development to advance climate information communication. Please visit
www.ClimateAppraisal.com for more information.
Media Contact:
David Purcell, Climate Appraisal Services
203-261-5928
Press Contact: David Purcell
Company Name: Climate Appraisal Services, LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 203-261-5928
Website: www.ClimateAppraisal.com
Press Release Source: EMediaWire
