5/19
Amanda Mott
Associate Director for News
ammott@upenn.edu
Climate Change
Prioritizing environmental justice while capturing carbon from the air
Prioritizing environmental justice while capturing carbon from the air
The Clean Energy Conversions Lab’s mission is to minimize the environmental and climate impacts of the world’s dependence on fossil fuels through carbon management.
Facing climate change with optimism
Facing climate change with optimism
In the course titled Climate Change & the Energy Evolution, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law students learn how to use their legal skills to decarbonize the world’s economy.
A multidisciplinary approach to considering the Earth’s changing systems
A multidisciplinary approach to considering the Earth’s changing systems
Bringing expertise from each of their disciplines, the School of Arts & Sciences’ Kathleen Morrison and Joseph Francisco and the Environmental Innovations Initiative’s Melissa Brown Goodall infused chemistry, anthropology, policy, and more into an introductory course on climate and the environment.
Islands on the climate front line
Islands on the climate front line
Perry World House’s Global Shifts Colloquium looked at how islands can protect their people, build resilient communities, and safeguard their environment in the climate crisis.
Turning Latin America green
Turning Latin America green
Santiago Cunial, a doctoral candidate in political science, investigates issues surrounding green energy in Chile and Argentina.
Solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC
Solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC
The latest assessment offers both a harsh reality check and a path forward. Experts William Braham, Peter Psarras, and Michael Mann offer their thoughts.
Protecting a singular ecosystem in the Galápagos
Protecting a singular ecosystem in the Galápagos
Michael Weisberg, the Bess W. Heyman President's Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, students, and Ecuador's Ambassador to the United States reflect on the momentous expansion of the Galápagos Marine Reserve.
Climate scientist Michael Mann to join Penn faculty
Climate scientist Michael Mann to join Penn faculty
Mann is the first new faculty member to be recruited as part of the recently announced Energy and Sustainability Initiative as a Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science.
Unlocking the potential of ‘smart’ water in responding to climate change
Unlocking the potential of ‘smart’ water in responding to climate change
Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning Allison Lassiter researches unlocking the potential of ‘smart’ water in responding to climate change.
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
The assessment gets explicit about the effect of climate change on people, places, and ecosystems. Experts from Penn weigh in on what it means.
Media Contact
In the News
Scientific American
Where rising seas threaten drinking water, scientists look for affordable solutions
Research led by Allison Lassiter of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design aims to identify water systems along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. “Besides being unpleasant to drink, salinized water can harm vulnerable populations, including people with hypertension and pregnant women,” she said.
FULL STORY →
The Conversation
The seas are coming for us in Kiribati. Will Australia rehome us?
Perry World House Distinguished Global Leader-in-Residence Anote Tong, former president of the Republic of Kiribati, co-wrote an article about the uncertain future of Kiribati amid rising sea levels. “What we need is a model where displaced people can migrate to host nations when their homes become uninhabitable,” Tong and co-author Akka Rimon wrote. “Countries like Australia need workers—and we will soon need homes.”
FULL STORY →
ABC News
How climate change can harm your skin
Misha Rosenbach of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about climate change’s effects on the skin, saying wildfire smoke can worsen eczema and increased sun exposure can heighten risk for skin cancer. “I think you would be very hard pressed to find someplace in the country that is completely unaffected,” he said.
FULL STORY →
The New York Times
When bad news about the climate is good for green stock
Robert F. Stambaugh of the Wharton School said that by driving up the price of green stocks investors may be inadvertently increasing the expected returns for less environmentally friendly stocks. Stambaugh co-authored a paper on the dynamic with Wharton colleague Lucian Taylor.
FULL STORY →
“Here & Now with Robin Young and Jeremy Hobson,” WBUR-Radio (Boston)
How insurance is protecting a coral reef from climate impacts in Mexico
Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton School discussed how “parametric insurance” benefits people after natural disasters. “With a parametric policy, the payout is only related to some independent measure of the disaster itself,” she said.
FULL STORY →
Marketplace (NPR)
Lots of homeowners are dropping flood insurance, study shows
Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton School said the lack of detailed data on dropped flood insurance policies makes it difficult to determine why homeowners made the decision.
FULL STORY →