The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed not only the true value of nature and open public spaces, but it reified the presence and persistence of racism in and throughout American institutions. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials encouraged people to visit parks and green spaces as a way to be safe against COVID-19 transmission, the toxic presence and persistence of racism experienced by Black,…
Hundreds of hazardous sites in California are at risk of flooding as sea level rises, study finds
Hundreds of hazardous industrial sites that dot the California coastline – including oil and gas refineries and sewage-treatment plants – are at risk of severe flooding from rising sea level if the climate crisis worsens, new research shows. If planet-warming pollution continues to rise unabated, 129 industrial sites are estimated to be at risk of coastal flooding by 2050 according to the study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology by…
Biennial Spring Symposium: Environmental and Social Determinants of Child Mental Health
The Picower Institute’s Biennial Spring Symposium, in conjunction with the JPB Foundation Abuse, neglect, trauma or adverse experiences during childhood coming from personal, environmental or social sources can lead to lifelong struggles including with mental health. Fortunately research also indicates that solutions and interventions at various stages of life can be developed to help and to promote resilience. Please plan to join us online or in person on May 11,…
4 major effects of climate change in America
Warming temperatures are causing extreme weather patterns across the country. But communities are pushing back with solutions old and new. As the Earth gets warmer, higher temperatures set a new baseline for extreme weather events. An increase of just a couple of degrees in global average temperature can make hazards like fires and hurricanes more powerful and more frequent. Thanks to its size, location, and varied geography, the United States is vulnerable…
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President Biden Signs Executive Order to Revitalize Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All
President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that every person has a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live in a healthy community – now and into the future. During his first week in office, President Biden launched the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation’s history. To continue delivering on that vision, today the President will sign an executive order further embedding environmental justice into…
After the Marshall Fire: Survey Offers Community Snapshot of Recovery
Public health researcher works in her community to enhance resilience, shape smart policy The story of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history didn’t end with the receding of hurricane-strength winds and the extinguishing of the blaze’s last embers. Over a year later, while some questions the Marshall Fire left in its wake have been answered, many others remain, including where future public policy should go. For those answers, the Marshall Fire Recovery…
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Readout of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Invest in Nature Summit
Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) hosted the Invest in Nature Summit. This event brought together federal government leaders, academia, industry, non-profits, philanthropies, and others to celebrate the progress being made through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, and underscore the importance of continued efforts to drive even more progress. This event featured OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy…
New Article: What Does Chelsea Creek Do for You? A Relational Approach to Environmental Justice Communication
Historically, academic and government environmental justice (EJ) research and communication efforts have centered on quantifying, mapping, and visualizing the environmental harms faced by EJ communities (communities facing disproportionate levels of environmental harm). Unangax Education scholar Eve Tuck critiques such frameworks as “damage-centered” because they cast entire communities—predominantly low-income, BIPOC communities—as lacking or lesser. In this case study, we identify three core pitfalls of damage-centered research in government agency EJ projects—reification,…
REI-Funded Center Promotes Nature-Based Research and Reparation
The name of a new University of Maryland research center is rooted in West Africa, but its promise to offer deeper understanding of the human-nature connection will come to fruition in College Park and around the country. The Wekesa (which means “born during harvest time”) Earth Center will conduct research on the connection between nature and wellness, offer programming that offers people new ways to interact and feel a belongingness…
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After the Marshall Fire, Households with Fewer Financial Resources Are Falling Behind
Fifteen months ago, the Marshall Fire swept through Boulder County, Colorado, killing two people and destroying 1,084 homes—making it the most destructive wildfire in state history. Since the fire, Boulder County has progressed toward recovery, with nearly all of the destroyed structures demolished and their lots cleared. As of March 24, 2023, the three local governments coping with fire recovery have issued 440 rebuilding permits to allow for construction to begin,…