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Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Earth and Environmental Science
The Supreme Court restricts the EPA’s power to curb climate change
The Supreme Court restricts the EPA’s power to curb climate change
Shelley Welton, a new faculty member with Penn Carey Law and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, calls the decision “devastating,” even if expected. She explains the ruling and its implications for action on climate change.
Penn junior Ha-Nam Yoon named a Udall Scholar
Penn junior Ha-Nam Yoon named a Udall Scholar
Ha-Nam Yoon, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a 2022 Udall Scholar by the Udall Foundation, recognized for leadership, public service, and a commitment to issues related to the environment.
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.
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality
Both dense human populations and a plethora of wildlife can pose a challenge to marine and public health in the Galápagos Islands. With portable, user-friendly PCR technology, Penn faculty and students are training local scientists and school children to perform water quality research.
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.
A farm-to-table meal at Penn, in photos
A farm-to-table meal at Penn, in photos
Honoring Earth Week, Penn Dining and the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative teamed up to create a vegetable-forward menu for Quaker Kitchen, sourcing produce from local purveyors to highlight what’s currently growing on the quarter-acre Penn Park Farm.
The Clean Water Act at 50
The Clean Water Act at 50
Approaching the half-century mark of this landmark piece of environmental legislation, Penn students, staff, and faculty share their reflections on its legacy, both strengths and shortcomings.
Lead toxicity risk factors in Philadelphia
Lead toxicity risk factors in Philadelphia
Two studies identify factors that correlate with high blood-lead levels in children, pointing to ongoing environmental justice issues that disproportionately fall on children of color and poorer communities in the city.
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.
Talking energy at Penn
Talking energy at Penn
Energy Week 2022, hosted by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, runs April 4-8. It includes student presentations, along with conversations about renewables, energy and the war in Ukraine, and much more.
Media Contact
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Got an idea to address the impacts of climate change along the Delaware? You could win money to make it happen
The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities’ Ecotopian Toolkit competition is soliciting proposals for tools to help the greater Philadelphia region address impacts of climate change. “One of the things that the project is really keen to develop is helping Philadelphians, and people really across the whole watershed, understand the ways that the water really connects to them and to their lives,” said Bethany Wiggin.
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The New York Times
The hills are alive with the flows of physics
In the lab of Douglas Jerolmack, researchers led by doctoral candidate Nakul Deshpande of the School of Arts & Sciences explored how landscapes gradually move over time.
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Science
Why do rivers leap from their banks? Scientists strive to predict deadly flooding events
Douglas Jerolmack of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about his research on avulsion, a phenomenon in which rivers seek new routes. His experiments confirmed that avulsions are both natural and predictable.
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The New York Times
Businesses aim to pull greenhouse gases from the air. It’s a gamble
Jennifer Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about companies pledging to eliminate their carbon emissions within decades. “Carbon removal shouldn’t be seen as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” she said. “It has a role to play, particularly for sectors that are very difficult to decarbonize, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for everyone to keep emitting greenhouse gases indefinitely.”
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The Hill
Wealthy households have 25 percent higher carbon impacts than lower-income homes
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about how class affects access to sustainable energy alternatives. “For higher income individuals, it's a function of choice," he said. "For lower income individuals, it's a function of constraints.”
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The New York Times
Southern Iraq’s toxic twilight
Marilyn Howarth of the Perelman School of Medicine says oil rain, a byproduct of oil production, can be carcinogenic. “The oil itself can contain traces of heavy metals, arsenic, and radioactivity, which could be a source of lung cancer,” she said.
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