Three members of IBES faculty will join Director Kim Cobb and Director of Undergraduate Studies Dawn King to form an expanded IBES Leadership Team, as outlined in the Institute’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.
At Brown's Opening Convocation on September 5, 2023, Cobb called on students to unite across disciplines and take action against climate change — emphasizing that with their unique blend of knowledge and a global network of climate advocates at their disposal, they can work together to secure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Brown’s Opening Convocation brought moments of celebration, levity and poignancy, as University leaders upheld their commitment to advancing diversity on campus and urged students to continue fighting for sustainable climate solutions.
The IBES community is pleased to introduce our two newest faculty members: Seda Şalap-Ayça, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Geospatial Science in IBES and DEEPS, and Allan Just, Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Environment and Society.
A content strategist who has served Brown for over 11 years, Warrington will lead the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society’s growing communications team and spearhead initiatives to promote IBES’ Strategic Plan.
Born in part from an IBES seed grant and published in 2021, the 200-page work offers “a new theoretical framework for understanding chemicals in society.”
This spring, four members of IBES faculty received awards for their outstanding contributions to Brown and the broader community. This is Part IV of a series highlighting the exceptional work of each awardee.
The project, supported by the National Science Foundation, will focus on creating a set of tools and convening experts to address climate change related challenges faced by communities along the New England coast.
Elizabeth Rush, IBES Fellow and Assistant Professor of the Practice of English, writes about the beloved beech tree in her backyard and its intersection with life milestones, climate anxiety, and more.
On the upper floor of 85 Waterman Street in Providence sits the conservatory, an 1,800-square-foot refuge inside Brown’s Plant Environmental Center that is open to all.
This spring, four members of IBES faculty received awards for their outstanding contributions to Brown and the broader community. This is Part III of a series highlighting the exceptional work of each awardee.
Professor Stephen Porder discussed the effectiveness of carbon offsets he effectiveness of carbon offsets to help travelers neutralize their environmental impact: "You can’t be sure that a dollar spent on an offset is actually keeping CO2 out of the atmosphere."
DEEPS Professor and IBES Fellow Baylor Fox-Kemper commented, "Floods of a particular strength are getting more and more frequent. As we go forward, we should expect the hurricane barrier to be used more and more just to protect from these increased flooding events."
IBES Fellow and Physics Professor Brad Marston has found that some features of fluid flow on Earth can be explained by principles that traditionally apply to quantum systems.
IBES Director Kim Cobb discussed the Inflation Reduction Act, saying that the legislation "really puts the wheels of the marketplace in motion to harness available technologies for emissions reduction."
"Having a child doesn’t mean the end of exploration outdoors," writes IBES Fellow and Assistant Professor of the Practice of English Elizabeth Rush. "These women writers modeled that for me — and taught me new ways of thinking about risk and reward."
IBES and Sociology Professor Timmons Roberts discussed how whale advocates "are becoming unwitting pawns of the fossil fuel industry" as they and rightwing think tanks create the impression that offshore wind energy projects endanger cetaceans.
Knee-deep in prairie grasses, the rising Brown University senior is collecting plant samples and bison waste to expand biologists’ understanding of animal nutrition in the wild.
This edition of The New York Times Morning Newsletter discusses extreme weather events and how climate disasters can play off one another. IBES Director Kim Cobb commented, "Extremes are already worse because of man-made climate change. And they’re going to get worse with each additional increment of warming."
This article mentions research done by scholars from IBES and two labs based at IBES: the Climate Social Science Network and the Climate and Development Lab.
In addition to the grueling heat of the past few weeks, wildfire smoke, ocean warming, the early arrival of El Niño, and shrinking Antarctic sea ice are all indicators of a global environmental crisis. "Heat sets the pace of our climate in so many ways," IBES Director Kim Cobb commented. "It’s never just the heat."
Visiting Professor of Environment and Society Robert Brulle commented on fossil fuel lobbyists' competing interests: "Lobbyists will take money from anybody. The question is: are they really working in your best interest … if they’re also representing an opponent?"