Institute at Brown for Environment and Society

Brown students, families, and faculty packed Carmichael Auditorium for a discussion of AI's environmental footprint, its potential to advance climate solutions, and the choices shaping its future.

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.

IBES Professor Stephen Porder penned this opinion piece, assessing the costs and benefits of clearing trees to make room for solar panels.

IBES and Biology Professor Stephen Porder offered commentary about recent wildfires in Canada, noting fossil fuel emissions' central role in extreme weather-related events.

IBES and Ecology Professor Stephen Porder expressed that while declining rates of deforestation in the Amazon are encouraging, the region has seen lower rates, and “really the number needs to go to 0 very quickly.”

In labs, neighborhoods, and public forums across the state, IBES faculty and students are working side by side with Rhode Islanders to turn environmental challenges into actionable solutions.