This episode of NPR's science podcast, Short Wave, features insights from IBES Voss Postdoc Elodie Freymann, a primatologist who studies self-medication in chimpanzees.
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
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Heard About the Super Godzilla Monster El Niño? Here’s How It Could Actually Affect You.
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary for this article, describing how El Niño functions and potential impacts.
September 8, 2026
News from Brown
At 263rd Convocation, Brown’s new students are encouraged to embrace humility, ask questions
As Brown officially commenced its 2026-27 academic year, University leaders urged nearly 3,300 new students to be curious, courageous and embrace the unique opportunities of a Brown education.
Trees vs. Solar Panels: Getting the Carbon Math Right
IBES Professor Stephen Porder penned this opinion piece, assessing the costs and benefits of clearing trees to make room for solar panels.
Oil lobby tanking climate Superfund bills in Oregon, 11 states despite public support, study finds
This story reports on research from IBES' Climate and Development Lab, led by Professor Timmons Roberts, that found activists and lobbyists used debunked claims to fight climate Superfund bills.
IBES celebrates the contributions and legacies of J. Timmons Roberts and Kurt Teichert
This fall marks the start of Roberts’ and Teichert’s final academic year at Brown. As they prepare to retire, they leave a lasting legacy through decades of teaching, scholarship, and service.
When natural disasters strike, these camps give kids a safe place to recover
IBES affiliate and Professor of Education Matthew Kraft, founding director of the Sustainable Education Research Initiative, was interviewed about the impact of natural disasters on school attendance.
Female Treefrogs Experience ‘Choice Overload’ Amid Too Many Mating Calls From Males
Voss Postdoc Luke Larter offered commentary on a new study on the implications of noise on frog mate choice.
Meet Voss Fellow Isidora Stevens ’28: Mapping a bioregion that transcends political borders
Stevens spent the summer in Colorado to study land stewardship and ecosystem change in the Upper Rio Grande Basin through community interviews and vegetation mapping.
Noise pollution from data centers is coming. The gas-powered xAI model is spreading
IBES affiliate Erica Walker, an assistant professor of epidemiology and director of Brown's Community Noise Lab, offered commentary about the noise and environmental impacts of data center growth across the country.
Global Warming Intensifies El Niño, Galápagos Coral Fossils Show
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary for this article.
Climate change is supercharging El Niños, coral records show
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary about new research linking climate change to more intense El Niños.
As super El Nino strengthens, study suggests that climate change is intensifying El Ninos
IBES Director Kim Cobb commented on a new study of El Niños, warning that their intensification could drive more severe weather events.
Climate Superfund Bills in the U.S. States: A systematic study of opposition
This report — led by IBES researchers including Professor Timmons Roberts, Trevor Culhane, and August DeVore — shows how fossil fuel and energy-intensive industries work to block “Climate Superfund” bills across state legislatures.
US fossil fuel lobbyists also represent hundreds of cities fighting for climate damages
This story reports on research by Professor Timmons Roberts and Research Associate Trevor Culhane, leading researchers of the Climate and Development Lab, who found that activists and lobbyists used debunked claims to fight climate superfund bills.
It Just Got Way Easier to Sue Fossil Fuel Companies Over Climate Change
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary about new research that connects single corporate emitters to specific heatwaves and areas of extreme rainfall.
New scholars bring fresh perspectives to IBES this fall
Meet the newest members of the IBES community, whose work spans climate science, economics, agriculture, sociology, public health, and global policy.
Brown students reported on Providence’s rivers. Every. Story. Got. Published.
What does it take to turn a class assignment into a story? Brown students in IBES' Science Journalism course investigated environmental issues shaping communities across Providence and saw their work appear in ecoRI News.
Non-analog ostracod assemblages in Lake Mojave reflect lake Quaternary climate and water-level changes
IBES and DEEPS Assistant Professor Daniel Ibarra is among the authors of this study.
August 11, 2026
News from Brown
New research shows nearly half of U.S. pre-K-12 schools are near environmental hazard sites
A study by Brown University researchers found that 44% of pre-K-12 schools in the U.S. are within a mile of a known environmental hazard site, a distance at which negative exposure effects are well documented.
Meet Voss Fellow Jules Ho ’27: Tracking wild sloth microbiomes
A dual-degree student in Environmental Sciences and Studies and the Rhode Island School of Design’s Illustration Department, Ho studies the gut microbiomes of wild sloths in Costa Rica to map normal variation and test how species, habitat, and rehabilitation status shape these microbial communities.
US schools’ proximity to environmental hazard sites: A national analysis
IBES affiliate and Catalyst Research Awardee Matthew Kraft, a professor in the Department of Education, and his SustainableED team authored this study, finding that 44% of pre-K-12 schools in the U.S. are within a mile of a known environmental hazard site.
Newport Is Getting Hotter. Its Homes Aren’t Keeping Up.
IBES affiliate Katelyn Moretti, an assistant professor of emergency medicine, offered insights on the health risks that hotter summers bring about.
August 6, 2026
From the Division of Research
Announcing the 2026 Internal Funding Awardees
Awards include the 2026 Division of Research Seed Program and the Richard B. Salomon Faculty Research Awards.
‘A Textbook Example of How Not to Cover Climate Propaganda’
This op-ed features previous commentary from IBES Director Kim Cobb, noting that expert insights like hers make for compelling, trustworthy journalism.
The NASA ABoVE Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor full waveform LiDAR airborne surveys
Professor Laurence C. Smith is among the authors of this data descriptor publication.
Forever Chemicals Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Limit Your Exposure.
IBES affiliate Joseph Braun, a professor of epidemiology and director of Brown’s Center for Climate, Environment and Health, discussed actions people can take to reduce their exposure to PFAS.
Tanguay begins her new role as Visiting Assistant Professor of Environment and Society on August 1.
July 27, 2026
News from Brown
Video: Brown biologist Tyler Kartzinel on how to fight the spotted lanternfly invasion
In a video interview, the associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology explains how to squash individual pests as well as curb their population growth.
Do You See What I Smell? A Participatory Visual Arts Method for Documenting Residents’ Experiences With Odors in Providence, Rhode Island
Members of IBES' Breathe Providence project, including Professor Meredith Hastings, contributed to this paper, which draws on the work of the Breathe Providence Resident Task Force and provides practical guidance about the use of collage in community-engaged action research.
What can the Galápagos Islands' animals teach us about the threats of El Niño?
IBES affiliate Jon Witman, a professor emeritus of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, offered commentary on how El Niño climate cycles affect marine ecosystems in the Galápagos.
How birds save energy by flying in a V formation
This article covers a new study that IBES affiliate Kenny Breuer, a professor of engineering, worked on.
Paleohydrologic conditions in the Mojave Desert during the last deglaciation recorded by core-to-shore lacustrine records
Postdoc Gavin Piccione led this study, with contributions from Assistant Professor Daniel Ibarra, IBES graduate affiliate Justin Custado, and former undergraduate Voss Fellow Anna Dubey '25.
CTV National News: Trump threatens Canada with tariffs over wildfire smoke
IBES and Biology Professor Stephen Porder offered commentary about recent wildfires in Canada, noting fossil fuel emissions' central role in extreme weather-related events.
What Are The Risks of Extreme Heat Combined With Bad Air Quality?
Allan Just, an associate professor in IBES and the School of Public Health, was interviewed about how extreme heat and poor air quality work synergistically to harm human health.
Growing a Healthier Climate
On this episode of the School of Public Health's podcast, Meredith Niles, professor of environment and society & behavioral and social sciences, explores how climate-friendly agriculture is actually a quiet powerhouse for public health.
El Niño is strengthening. What it means for winter in Connecticut
IBES Director Kim Cobb sat for an interview about this year's El Niño event.
Living the Legacy: The Women of the Modern Conservation Movement
Elizabeth Rush, an IBES faculty affiliate in the Department of English, was interviewed for the new WTIU/PBS documentary, "Gene Stratton-Porter: Music of the Wild."
Perennial’s New Peer-Reviewed Study Supports Digital Soil Mapping As Reliable MMRV For Soil Carbon
James Kellner — an IBES and biology professor and chief scientist for Perennial, the leading provider of measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification for soil carbon programs — is among the authors of this new study.
IBES expands undergraduate research opportunities with new assistantship program
This summer, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) welcomed its first group of students into a new program designed to expand access to faculty-mentored research opportunities in climate and the environment.
Live with Emily McAteer at Odyssey Energy Solutions
IBES Advisory Council member Emily McAteer, CEO and co-founder of Odyssey, joined energy entrepreneur Jigar Shah to discuss how weak, unreliable grids combined with plummeting solar and battery costs make distributed solar the cheapest option in many emerging markets.
A digital soil mapping approach to soil carbon monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV)
Professor James Kellner is among the authors of this paper.
IBES Director Kim Cobb was quoted in this article.
ENVS student Shant Ispendjian ’28 builds a national platform for environmental advocacy
After witnessing pollution in Southern California’s coastal waters as a high school student, Ispendjian founded Saving the Sea. Today, the national nonprofit is helping students translate environmental research into policy and action.
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary about the causes of recent heat waves, noting fossil fuel consumption as the primary driver and the El Niño climate pattern as a potential influence as well.
‘We are screwed’: People near data centers dread heat wave pollution
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary for this article.
Humidity may hold the key to predicting future flu outbreaks
This article features research by IBES and Epidemiology Assistant Professor Rachel Baker and IBES graduate affiliate Aleksandra Stamper, a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Health.
July 1, 2026
News from Brown
Faculty at Brown earn prominent honors, distinctions in Spring 2026
During the spring semester, prestigious national and international organizations recognized Brown University faculty for their leadership, service, research and scholarship.
June 25, 2026
News from Brown
Shifting tectonic plates gave Alaska’s Aleutian Islands a later-life lift
Researchers at Brown have shown the first direct evidence for a massive geologic uplift of the entire Aleutian Island archipelago driven by a rotation of the Pacific tectonic plate.
June 25, 2026
News from SPH
Climate change could reshape flu seasons across the Americas, study finds
Researchers find that weather and climate patterns can help predict the timing and severity of flu outbreaks across diverse regions, and that flu spreads more easily in very dry and very humid air.