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Anonymous Donors Keep the Climate Denial Machine Chugging
There’s lots of talk from the GOP and fossil fuel companies these days about changing their tune and finally getting really serious about climate change. But new research shows that not much has changed in the world of organized climate denial: It’s still massively funded by mostly anonymous donors shielding major conservative actors, and money has increased at a steady churn of around 3.4% per year over the past two decades. This consistency could be the key to climate denial’s continued success.
An Unbroken Record of Climate During the Age of Dinosaurs
A scientific drilling project in China has retrieved a continuous history of conditions from Earth’s most recent “greenhouse” period that may offer insights about future climate scenarios.
The Book: Rivers of Power
Rivers, their water and their usefulness for society has not changed. What is changing is how humans can and do move that water from source to a place of use. This episode explores great canals that are under construction, massive dams that are creating international tensions, efforts to use water over and over and over.
April 22, 2021
News from Brown
Zanagee Artis: Promoting climate justice through environmental policy reform
The Brown junior and co-founder of Zero Hour, one of the world’s first youth-led climate justice organizations, is working to preserve humankind’s future by promoting environmental policy change.
Demand for water is rapidly increasing as supply dwindles
Limited access to clean water remains a struggle for millions of Americans. And lack of water access is expected to become an even greater problem in the coming years across the U.S. and around the world.
Two Faced Facebook: how the digital giant lets Exxon, US companies, talk out both sides of their mouths
Australia’s premier tax cheat Exxon is one of a number of companies in the US using conflicting Facebook ads to target both liberals and conservatives, writes Jeremy B Merrill. The left wing sees narratives extolling Exxon tackling climate change while right wing Facebook users see ads asking for support to stop regulation.
Humans in Public Health Podcast: Joe Braun
Host Megan Hall speaks with associate professor of epidemiology Joe Braun about plastics and how everyday exposure impacts our health.
Humans in Public Health is a special podcast series for National Public Health Week. Hosted by Megan Hall and brought to you by Brown University’s School of Public Health.
Humans in Public Health is a special podcast series for National Public Health Week. Hosted by Megan Hall and brought to you by Brown University’s School of Public Health.
Hundreds of Glacial Rivers Are Pouring Into the Belly of Greenland’s Ice
We use the cliched term “glacial pace” to describe something that moves really slowly. But new research shows that Greenland’s glaciers may actually be moving more rapidly than we thought thanks to rushing rivers on their surface.
April 5, 2021
News from Brown
What a glacial river reveals about the Greenland ice sheet
New research shows that water pressure beneath a glacier influences how fast it flows, a finding that could help in predicting the pace at which glaciers slide into the ocean and drive sea level upward.
Students make national news by exposing who’s been funding the movement to deny climate change.
In the Urban Environmental Lab, a small, unassuming building that sits behind a vegetable garden on Waterman Street, students and professors are taking on one of the most powerful forces of the past three decades: the climate denial movement.
Top 10 reasons Governor McKee’s first big signing ceremony should be for Act on Climate
Signing the bill into law will improve the health of residents, help secure a viable future, and bring a series of benefits such as green jobs and healthier air for Rhode Island.
What places in Providence are most at risk from climate change?
It’s no secret that Providence is at risk from climate change.
There are numerous reports detailing the vulnerability of the Port of Providence, the downtown and other low-lying areas to storm surges and tidal flooding. Other studies detail the risks of heat exposure and respiratory illnesses in such neighborhoods as Elmwood and Washington Park as temperatures rise.
There are numerous reports detailing the vulnerability of the Port of Providence, the downtown and other low-lying areas to storm surges and tidal flooding. Other studies detail the risks of heat exposure and respiratory illnesses in such neighborhoods as Elmwood and Washington Park as temperatures rise.
Hastings' career centers diversity, inclusion, and anti-harrassment
IBES fellow Meredith Hastings has helped transform her field not simply through her research, but through her advocacy on behalf of women and other marginalized groups in the sciences.
Ad Agencies Step Away From Oil and Gas in Echo of Cigarette Exodus
A queasiness has set in among some people who have made ads promoting fossil fuels. One executive likened the shift to the ad industry’s move away from tobacco.
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Lord, Lecturer in Environment and Society
Elizabeth Lord, Lecturer in Environment and Society, passed away on February 8, 2021. She was 38.
IBES Welcomes Jon Witman as an IBES Affiliate Fellow
The Institute at Brown for Environment and Society is excited to welcome Professor of Biology Jon Witman as an IBES Faculty Affiliate.
Why We Need the Environmental Humanities
Humanities scholars are at the forefront of the response to climate change. In this show Amanda Anderson talks with two influential and innovative scholars in the field of the environmental humanities: Bathsheba Demuth, an environmental historian who studies the arctic North, and Macarena Gomez-Barris, a cultural critic whose work focuses on the Global South. Topics include the environmental justice movement, extractivism, ecotourism, and the nature-culture divide.
March 3, 2021
News from Brown
Humans control majority of freshwater ebb and flow on Earth, study finds
Satellite observations show that more than half of seasonal freshwater level changes on Earth happen in human-managed reservoirs, underscoring the profound impact humanity has on the global water cycle.
Failure Of Power: How Millions Of Texans Were Left In The Dark
When the Texas power grid failed during a historic winter storm, millions of people were left in the cold and dark. The operator of that grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said they were only moments away from an absolute nightmare scenario: a statewide blackout that could have lasted weeks — or months.
The storm was unprecedented — but it wasn’t unpredictable. How did this disaster happen, and what can be done to prevent a similar failure?
The storm was unprecedented — but it wasn’t unpredictable. How did this disaster happen, and what can be done to prevent a similar failure?
Biomarkers In Ancient Alaskan Lake Sediment Could Influence Thinking About Early Beringian Migration
A group of Brown University researchers, funded by the Shared Beringian Heritage Program, is tracking evidence that supports a new but disputed theory about when and how human beings first arrived on the American continent. Brown professor Yongsong Huang and his team of researchers believe they have found traces of human fecal matter and fire activity in northern Alaska dating back more than 30,000 years—thousands of years before the archaeological record indicates humans were in Alaska.
New Study Outlines Rapid Decarbonization Plan for R.I.
A new study demonstrates that achieving an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 is feasible for Rhode Island.
What might the new Biden Administration mean for the environment?
A select group of IBES fellows offers their reflections about what the new Presidential Administration here in the U.S. could mean for the climate and other environmental concerns.
How to Teach Climate Change
The Watson-based Climate Solutions Lab has created a syllabus bank to encourage more social-science instructors to teach university-level courses on climate change.
This I Believe New England - The Health of the Planet
There is so much to worry about in our world today: political turmoil, civil unrest, a pandemic, climate change. The list goes on . . . and on and on. All of us want to be hopeful, of course, as we stare down all of these challenges. Let’s listen to Curt Spalding’s sanguine words, as he reflects on the future of our precious planet.
Garelick and Joyce Earn AGU Outstanding Student Paper Awards
IBES graduate affiliates Sloane Garelick and Emily Joyce have earned prestigious Outstanding Student Paper Awards for the work they presented at AGU last December.
Solar Industry Likes to Keep Its Underbelly Hidden
IBES fellow Myles Lennon says growing industry exploits labor of Black, Brown, and poor communities worldwide.
Is faster, steeper decarbonization feasible in Rhode Island? Researchers say yes.
“Faster and Steeper is Feasible: Modeling Deeper Decarbonization in a Northeastern U.S. State,” published in Energy Research & Social Science, uses and updates a energy model originally developed for Rhode Island’s 2016 climate plan to assess the viability of more rapid decarbonization pathways for the state.
Oil companies don’t want to be known for oil anymore
Oil companies have been trying to rebrand themselves as cleaner and greener for years.
Joe Biden’s plans to combat climate crisis have – predictably – provoked GOP backlash
Republican attacks, amplified by Fox News, have been met with a planned response from climate envoy John Kerry
How long might the Arctic's 'Last Ice' area endure?
An 'ice jam' bottlenecking an Arctic ice exit route shows troubling signs it may no longer serve as a year-round barrier to sea ice flow to warmer waters to the south.
Can Massachusetts Democrats Overcome the Power of Business Lobbyists and Pass Climate Legislation?
Despite supermajorities enjoyed by the party in both houses of the state legislature, a new Brown University study suggests the answer may be no.
Shadowy Twitter bots spread climate disinformation
Thomas Marlow and John Cook, scholars with the IBES-supported Climate Social Science Network, are featured in E&E News, where they discuss new research showing that a substantial amount of climate change disinformation online comes from Twitter bots.
Sea Shanties and the Whale Oil Myth
Oil companies like to point to the demise of the whaling industry as an example of market-based energy solutions. The reality is much more complicated.
January 21, 2021
News from Brown
Researchers develop new graphene nanochannel water filters
Brown University researchers have shown that tiny channels between graphene sheets can be aligned in a way that makes them ideal for water filtration.
New Report: Who’s Delaying Climate Action in Massachusetts? Twelve Findings
A new report from an IBES research team analyzing climate and energy lobbying records details the actors working against climate action in Massachusetts.
What The Biden Administration Will Mean For Climate Change In New England
Severe storms. Heat waves. Rising seas. New England is already seeing the impacts of climate change, and scientists project they will become more severe and deadly, shaping how we live and work in the northeastern U.S. This week on NEXT, in a special ahead of Inauguration Day, the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified look at climate change in our region and how President-elect Joe Biden’s administration could affect climate action in the future. Biden has proposed the most ambitious climate platform of any incoming U.S. president in history.
Women and minorities in weather and climate fields confront harassment, lack of inclusion
Last year the Black Lives Matter movement that intensified with the high-profile deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others led to heightened conversations nationwide around institutional discrimination against marginalized groups in workplaces, academia and government.
Women and minorities in the earth and atmospheric sciences were already on it.
Women and minorities in the earth and atmospheric sciences were already on it.
Will global warming bring a change in the winds? Dust from the deep sea provides a clue
Climate researchers describe a new method of tracking the ancient history of the westerly winds—a proxy for what we may experience in a future warming world.
Global climate action needs trusted finance data
An agreed system for measuring funding of green projects in poorer nations will be vital to achieving action on climate change in 2021.
January 4, 2021
News from Brown
Researchers discover a new tool for reconstructing ancient sea ice to study climate change
A previously problematic molecule turns out to be a reliable proxy for reconstructing sea ice, a new study by Brown University researchers shows.
Archaeology is going digital to harness the power of Big Data
Combining traditional "pick and trowel" field work with a sweeping birds-eye view.
The Darkest Timeline
“Deep Adaptation” made people confront the end of the world from climate change. Does it matter if it’s not correct?
Climate change turns up the heat on ad industry
Climate activists and some ad industry figures are calling on agencies to declare or dump their Big Oil clients.
Scientists Are Becoming More Politically Engaged
IBES fellow Scott Frickel and colleagues examine what that means beyond the 2020 elections.
Biden focuses on US climate diplomacy with key role for John Kerry
Ex-secretary of state’s appointment as climate envoy signals issue as priority for new president
When Creatives Turn Destructive: Image-Makers and the Climate Crisis
Today's advertising, lobbying, and public-relations firms help provide the rationalizations and the justifications that slow the pace of climate change action. IBES fellow Robert Brulle studies such marketing extensively, as described in The New Yorker.
Histories Entwined: A tale of culture, economy and the more-than-human in the fragile High Arctic
In the mid-19th century, a parade of whaling ships set sail from New England. One by one, they swept down the United States’ Atlantic coast, circled South America’s Cape Horn, and finally cruised northward, toward the Arctic edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Rising Seas: Working and living on the front lines of climate change
A handful of dedicated IBES scholars are working to trace the arc of global sea level rise: from the melting ice sheets, into the swelling oceans and onto the shores of vulnerable communities like Providence. Together, the researchers aim to chart a new course forward — staving off sea level rise where it is possible and fortifying the environments and societies where it is not.
October 27, 2020
News from Brown
With global scholarly network, Brown faculty to advance study of climate change countermovement
The Climate Social Science Network, based at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will bring together leading scholars to catalyze collaborative research on the interests that are stalling climate action.