Earth and Environmental Science

What the Inflation Reduction Act hopes to do about climate change

A report by the Penn Wharton Budget Model says that while the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce the federal deficit and improve the economy, it will have no meaningful effect on inflation.

Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Manchin at a bill signing. Biden is sitting at a desk with the Presidential Seal. Schumer and Manchin are standing behind him. Behind all three are two American flags and a third other flag.

Understanding the Inflation Reduction Act

Penn experts explain the climate, health care, and economic aspects of the legislation that President Biden signed into law this week, plus the politics of getting it passed.

The planet Venus shown against a black background

New analysis shows how sulfur clouds can form in Venus’ atmosphere

An international research team, including atmospheric chemists from the School of Arts & Sciences, used computational chemistry methods to identify a novel pathway for how sulfur particles can arise high in the atmosphere of the second planet from the sun.

Xiye Bastida, climate-justice advocate, 20

In a profile, rising third-year Xiye Bastida of the College of Arts and Sciences says that she wants to leave a legacy of thriving life, not just survival.

Scientists welcome ‘enormous’ U.S. climate bill—but call for stronger action

Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the Inflation Reduction Act isn’t perfect but does return the U.S. to a position of climate action leadership and should encourage midterm turnout for climate-forward legislators.

Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is ‘urgently needed,’ while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer

A report co-authored by PIK Professor Karen Glanz weighs the negative environmental effects of UV filters against their positive impact on human health.

Delaware Valley experts, residents call ‘forever chemical’ health screening recommendations a ‘bold step’

Mary Regina Boland of the Perelman School of Medicine says patients could lower their environmental health risks by discovering the source of their exposure to toxic chemicals.

Combating urban heat

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, rising junior Sarah Sterinbach has spent the summer learning about the policies Philadelphia has used to protect its citizens from extreme heat and how those efforts might improve in the future.

Map of the earth with extinct animals superimposed over the continents.

Student-led project takes a global view of the Green New Deal

The Green New Deal and its implications for the design professions have been areas of sustained focus for The Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology at Weitzman since 2019.

Scientists Erynn Johnson and Aja Carter use a 3D printer to make shell shapes

Q&A

Mentorship strategies to boost diversity in paleontology

Drawing on research as well as their experiences as women of color in paleontology, Aja Carter and Erynn Johnson, who earned doctoral degrees from Penn, coauthored a paper offering advice for making the field more inclusive.

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