Zach Whitlock Bio and Work

Hello! Welcome to my page.

I am a climate policy researcher whose interests span corporate sustainability initiatives, discourse analysis, and extractive industries. Most recently, I have been working on the implications of oil and gas extraction on local communities, focusing on government revenues and public investment, as well as on natural disaster insurance and critical minerals.

I view climate mitigation as a whole-of-society project that requires building new institutions that are robust across generations. A narrow or discrete focus on technological innovation, the private sector, or public programs fails to account for how entrenched carbon-intense systems of extraction are to modern life.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me over email, Bluesky, or LinkedIn with questions on my work or perspectives. Thanks for visiting!

Booming and Busting: The Mixed Fortunes of US Oil and Gas-Producing Regions

Type: RFF Issue Brief
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Sarah Doctor, Noah Kaufman
Publisher: RFF
Date: Feb. 26, 2025

From Catastrophe to Caution: The Effect of Wildfires on Community Hazard Mitigation Efforts

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Simon Sølvsten
Publisher: Journal of Risk and Insurance
Date: Dec. 12, 2024 (working paper), article forthcoming

Building Economic Resilience in Western Colorado’s Oil and Gas Communities

Type: RFF Policy Report
Co-Author: Daniel Raimi
Publisher: Resources for the Future
Date: Nov. 22, 2024
News: Aspen Public Radio, CLEER’s Energizing Climate Solutions summit brings ideas for green energy in rural communities to Aspen

Geospatial analysis for Almost Everything Almost Everywhere All at Once: Why Place-Based Policies Are Not Targeting the Right Places

Type: Common Resources Article
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Alexandra Thompson
Publisher: Resources Mag
Date: Aug. 19, 2024
News: Axios Generate, Wanted: A Better Map for Place-Based Policies

The Energy Transition and Local Government Finance: New Data and Insights from 10 US States

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Elena Davert, Haley Neuenfeldt, Amy Van Zanen
Publisher: Environmental Research: Energy
Date: Jul. 12, 2024

Community Responses to Flooding in Risk Mitigation Actions: Evidence from the Community Rating System

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Simon Sølvsten
Publisher: N/A
Date: Jun. 18, 2024 (working paper), article forthcoming

Can Federal Efforts Help Build Economic Resilience in New Mexico’s Oil and Gas Communities?

Type: RFF Policy Report
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi
Publisher: Resources for the Future
Date: Aug. 21, 2023
News: Las Cruces Sun-News, New Mexico Public Land Offered for Oil Drilling Amid Calls for Federal Energy Reforms

Assessing the Future of Oil and Gas Production and Local Government Revenue in Five Western US Basins

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Brian Prest, Daniel Raimi
Publisher: The Energy Journal
Date: Jun. 13, 2023 (working paper)

Climate Change Framing of Environmental Lobbyist and Activist Organizations: A Comparative Study Using Topic Modeling, 2012-2022

Type: Dissertation
Publisher: ~~forthcoming~~ if there’s time to revisit
Date: Jul. 2022 (contact for PDF)

COP26: Issues to Watch, Questions to Ask

Type: White Paper
Publisher: Longview Global Advisors
Date: Nov. 2021