A Special Edition of ‘Closer Look’: Georgia And Climate Change

A report released Monday by the United Nations says global climate change research is clear: human-caused emissions are accelerating global warming. Quickly cutting those emissions, the report says, will help avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, which humans need to prepare for. What does this mean for Georgia? In this special edition of “Closer Look,” guests explored the effects of climate change in Georgia and how we can respond to…

New article: Green infrastructure can limit but not solve air pollution injustice

Outdoor air pollution contributes to millions of deaths worldwide yet air pollution has differential exposures across racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic status. While green infrastructure has the potential to decrease air pollution and provide other benefits to human health, vegetation alone cannot resolve health disparities related to air pollution injustice. We discuss how unequal access to green infrastructure can limit air quality improvements for marginalized communities and provide strategies to move…

Studying Activity and the Built Environment w/ Professor Jennifer Roberts

Public health is and has been top of mind ever since the global coronavirus pandemic took hold, but there’s a side to the study of public health that might not be as salient in our thoughts and that is the impact that our built environment has on our health, wellbeing, and specifically in encouraging and promoting healthy, active living. Dr. Roberts didn’t specifically set out to be an academic and researcher…

JPB Fellow selected to be on the Science Advisory Board at EPA

EPA Announces Selections of Charter Members to the Science Advisory Board Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced his selections for membership of the Science Advisory Board (SAB). The committee will be comprised of 22 women and 25 men, including 16 people of color, making it the most diverse SAB since the committee was established. The Administrator’s selections are well-qualified experts with a cross-section of scientific…

Is wildfire smoke bad for your health?

Coloradans woke up to hazy skies Monday morning, as smoke from the Morgan Creek wildfire near Steamboat Springs prompted air quality health advisories from Routt to Summit counties, and smoke from fires in California cast an eerie glow across the Front Range. As recently as 12 years ago, researchers had little understanding of how such smoke impacts human health—if at all, says Colleen Reid, an assistant professor of geography who…

Issues Of The Environment: Addressing Energy Poverty And Finding Sustainable Solutions

Energy poverty is a problem all too many low-income households have to contend with. While more affluent households leave a bigger carbon footprint, it is usually people of color that suffer the most economic and health consequences. University of Michigan assistant professor and Urban Energy Justice Lab director Dr. Tony Reames explores the issues and needed solutions in this conversation with WEMU’s David Fair. Read more.

Tackling ‘Energy Justice’ Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are On It

Poor people and people of color use much more electricity per square foot in their homes than whites and more affluent people, according to new research. That means households that can least afford it end up spending more on utilities. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, arrives as the Biden administration has said that it wants 40 percent of federal climate spending to reach poorer communities and…

EPA Announces Selections of Charter Members to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON (June 18, 2021) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced his selections for membership of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The committee will be comprised of five women and two men, including three people of color, making it the most diverse panel since the committee was established. The Administrator’s selections are well-qualified experts with a cross-section of scientific disciplines and experience needed to…

Tony Reames, Senior Advisor, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity

DOE Welcomes New Biden-Harris Appointees Tony G. Reames was most recently a professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan, where he established the Urban Energy Justice Lab to conduct research and develop solutions on the production and persistence of racial, income, and geographic disparities in energy access, affordability, decision making, and participation. Reames served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked…

New Article: Exploring Residential Rooftop Solar Potential in the United States by Race and Ethnicity

Over the last decade, the United States has experienced continued growth in residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption. However, solar adoption disparities have been shown across household income, homeownership status, and more recently racial and ethnic demographics. A key component to ensuring a just clean energy transition is understanding the existing landscape to establish realistic goals. Motivated by studies on solar adoption disparities, this descriptive study aims to evaluate the…