1. Survey of Potential Weather Index Insurance for Addressing Quality Shortfall in Blueberry Production

The purpose of this survey is to provide important information that may be used to design more effective insurance and risk management tools for British Columbia. This research will examine the risks facing blueberry producers in BC. The survey will ask questions regarding risk management strategies and farm operation characteristics, and collect views on the potential premiums that producers might be willing to pay for alternatives to crop yield insurance. 

2. Statistical/Econometric Anaylysis of Climate Data

a) Weather data are available for the period 1850 - present by month, with satellite data since 1979. Do these data indicate periods of warming versus periods of cooling? Are current temperatures statistically higher than earlier ones?

b) Projections from 73 climate models are available for a period of 20 or more years where they overlap the actual data. How reliable are the climate models?

3. Energy

a) When and under what circumstances is nuclear power preferred to wind and solar energy in production of electricity? For example, at what prices of carbon would this occur?

b) Economics of oil pipelines versus "pipeline by rail" for getting Canada's oil to market.

c) Economics of natural gas production.

d) Prospects for oil sands.

e) Future of global energy production. Will demand for oil decline?

4. Agriculture

a) Economics of drought.

b) Prospects for financial weather derivatives.

c) Economics of crop insurance.

d) Economics of weed resistance to herbicides.

e) Economics of GMOs.

5. Forestry

a) The REPA - PFC Forest Trade model needs modification. It is written in GAMS. i) One project would be to update the model. ii) Another to change the way log producing regions trade with forest product producing regions. iii) Add one or two more regions to the model.

b) Economics of wildfire.

c) Forest management for carbon uptake.

6. Data for JAAE

Link to data: