Visiting Professor of Environment and Society Robert Brulle commented on fossil fuel dependence.
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
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Fossil fuels are hiding all over your house. We built a model home to show how.
Adjunct IBES Professor Rebecca Altman offered commentary on the impacts of fossil fuel exposure.
Climate@Brown engages faculty in climate strategy planning in town halls
IBES Director Kim Cobb, chair of the new Climate@Brown initiative, offered commentary for this article, alongside IBES professor Stephen Porder and affiliate faculty member Kyle Denison Martin.
Germophobe primates want to avoid getting sick, too
IBES Voss Postdoc Elodie Freymann offered commentary for this article about monkeys becoming significantly more cautious of food sources.
Education in the age of climate change
IBES affiliate Matthew Kraft, a Professor of Education and Economics at Brown, penned this article about the importance of climate education.
2026 Catalyst Research Awards support faculty-led environmental research projects
Across seven projects, IBES faculty researchers are taking environmental research beyond campus and into the field, working alongside communities while opening new doors for undergraduates to participate.
October 8, 2026
Swearer Center
Meredith Hastings named Swearer Center Faculty Fellow
The Brown professor and community-engaged researcher will help advance university-wide efforts to strengthen support for community-engaged scholarship.
IBES joins the conversation at Climate Week NYC
IBES faculty, researchers and alumni played important roles at this year’s Climate Week NYC (September 19-26), offering their expertise on climate obstruction, extreme weather events and public health.
The G7 is releasing emergency fuel reserves. How much will it help Americans?
Jeff Colgan, an IBES affiliate, professor at the Watson School, and director of Brown's Climate Solutions Lab, offered commentary for this article, noting “the national security advantages of clean technologies like EVs, batteries, and renewable energy.”
2026 has been a record hot year for the U.S.—it can only get worse
IBES Director Kim Cobb offered commentary about record-breaking heat in 2026 and projections for 2027.
Bathsheba Demuth Joins Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books at UW Press as Series Editor
Associate Professor of History & Environment and Society Bathsheba Demuth succeeds Paul S. Sutter, who led the Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books series since 2014.
R.I. files two lawsuits challenging changes in Endangered Species Act implementation
IBES faculty members Tyler Kartzinel and Dov Sax offered insights into the greatest threats to endangered species.
Record high diesel prices are driving R.I. public bus system into the red
This story features commentary from IBES affiliate Jeff Colgan, a professor at the Watson School, and cites data from his Climate Solutions Lab.
Judges keep striking down climate laws. Some states are fighting back.
A recent study by IBES' Climate and Development Lab study provided new insights on the legal battle over climate superfund legislation. CDL researcher Trevor Culhane provided commentary.
How elite universities got tangled up in politics and petroleum
Robert Brulle, a visiting professor of environment and society, offered commentary on the federal government’s strategy for bringing colleges into closer alignment with conservative principles.
Meet Voss Fellow Lucie Johnson ’27: Building a more sustainable plastics landscape
Johnson’s research could guide the development of sustainable plastics—and a more sustainable future.
Connecting climate and kidney health: What the data show
IBES affiliate Ankur Shah, an associate professor of medicine, provided commentary about how climate change is driving demand for kidney-related treatment, and how that treatment could in turn affect the environment.
This article covers research conducted by Voss Postdoc Elodie Freymann.
Model-data synthesis of benthic isotopes suggests a warmer Miocene Climatic Optimum
IBES affiliate Timothy Herbert, a professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, contributed to this research.
African elephants putatively self-medicate with medicinal plants in the Mount Elgon region, Kenya
Voss Postdoc Elodie Freymann is among the lead researchers on a study that found African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they are sick.
Elephants use medicinal plants to treat themselves, researchers find
Voss Postdoc Elodie Freymann is among the lead researchers of a new study, which found that African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they're sick.
Corals Face an Existential Threat as the Super El Niño Heats Up
This article features the research of IBES affiliate Jon Witman, professor emeritus in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology.
Trump is backing a diesel export ban. How much would that do?
This article features research and commentary from IBES affiliate Jeff Colgan, director of Brown's Climate Solutions Lab and a professor at the Watson School.
One sample, many skills: Inside HelmCamp 2026
This article features the research and training conducted by Associate Professor Tyler Kartzinel's Genomic Opportunities Lab.
Environmental hazards near schools
This episode of PNAS's Science Sessions Podcast features the research of IBES faculty affiliate Matthew Kraft, Professor of Education and Economics and Director of the Sustainable Education Research Initiative.
Brown students explore climate careers through IBES summer internships
A record 36 Brown students spent the summer working with organizations across the U.S. and around the world, exploring diverse career paths in climate, sustainability, and the environment.
NASA’s TEMPO satellite enables better monitoring of bad air days
Associate Professor Allan Just offered commentary about how new technology can inform accurate epidemiologic health models and recommendations for communities exposed to pollution.
Americans Have Spent $100 Billion More on Fuel During the Iran War
This article focuses on research from Brown's Climate Solutions Lab, led by faculty affiliate Jeff Colgan at the Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
Using geology to predict climate change with Prof. Daniel Ibarra
In this video, Brown professor Daniel Ibarra collects and analyzes geologic materials from around the world to reconstruct past changes in the water cycle and make predictions about climate change.
Green Space & Climate Change
IBES and Epidemiology Associate Professor Allan Just explored how climate change and access to green space are shaping health and well-being across Rhode Island.
September 14, 2026
News from Brown
Study: Young military veterans have higher ‘forever chemical’ levels than non-veterans
A study led by Brown University researchers provides evidence that younger military veterans should consider getting screened for elevated PFAS levels and related health conditions.
Chimp convalescence, ant amputation: the wild world of animal doctors
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.
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.
Politics of oil
Jeff Colgan is an IBES affiliate, professor at the Watson School, and director of Brown's Climate Solutions Lab. He discussed CSL's Iran War Energy Cost Tracker, which documents what the war is costing American consumers based on the extra expense of gasoline and diesel.
A sea star named pop tart
Jennifer Adler '11, who taught IBES' Science Journalism class last year, wrote this article about how sea stars can help reforest the ocean.
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.
The Godfather of Surfonomics
Chad Nelsen ’92, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, has spent more than a decade showing how protecting the ocean can also protect the economy.
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 studying 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.