# News from Brown
**Source**: https://www.brown.edu/news/environment
**Parent**: https://www.brown.edu/news
# Environment
## Breadcrumb
- [Home](https://www.brown.edu/)
- [News from Brown](https://www.brown.edu/news)
## News Search
## News Archive
- [2026](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2026)
- [2025](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2025)
- [2024](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2024)
- [2023](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2023)
- [2022](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2022)
- [2021](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2021)
- [2020](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2020)
- [2019](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2019)
- [2018](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2018)
- [2017](https://www.brown.edu/news/by-year/2017)
## Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Environment
### [Sophia Wu: Crab wrangler, ocean dreamer](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-07-30/sophia-wu-save-bay)
July 30, 2025
Brown sophomore Sophia Wu is spending her summer at Save the Bay in Rhode Island, wrangling crabs, supporting summer camps for kids and exploring a future in marine science.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-07-30/sophia-wu-save-bay)
Open details for Sophia Wu: Crab wrangler, ocean dreamer
Environment
### [New research casts doubt on ancient drying of northern Africa’s climate](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-06-20/africa)
June 20, 2025
The study challenges the idea that the climate of northern Africa dried out around 3 million years ago, a time when the earliest known hominids appear in the fossil record.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-06-20/africa)
Open details for New research casts doubt on ancient drying of northern Africa’s climate
Environment
### [Air-quality monitoring underestimates toxic emissions to Salton Sea communities, study finds](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-06-02/saltonsea)
June 2, 2025
Researchers showed that hydrogen sulfide, which is associated with numerous health conditions, is emitted from California’s largest lake at levels far higher and more frequently than previously reported.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-06-02/saltonsea)
Open details for Air-quality monitoring underestimates toxic emissions to Salton Sea communities, study finds
Environment
### [Video: Brown biologist Stephen Porder on taking purposeful, planet-positive personal steps](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-04-22/stephen-porder)
April 22, 2025
This Earth Day, Brown University’s associate provost for sustainability offers strategies to minimize carbon dioxide emissions and help mitigate climate change.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-04-22/stephen-porder)
Open details for Video: Brown biologist Stephen Porder on taking purposeful, planet-positive personal steps
Environment
### [New research helps reconstruct sudden, dramatic sea level rise after last ice age](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-03-24/meltwater-pulse-1a)
March 24, 2025
By determining which ice sheets melted to create a colossal increase in sea levels 14,500 years ago, scientists hope to enable better predictions of how current ice melting will affect levels around the world.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-03-24/meltwater-pulse-1a)
Open details for New research helps reconstruct sudden, dramatic sea level rise after last ice age
Environment
### [Study reveals effectiveness of environment-focused litigation in the U.S., but also large inequalities](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-11-25/environmental-litigation)
November 25, 2024
A team of researchers analyzed more than 25,000 civil lawsuits, gleaning insights on regional disparities in environmental law and opportunities to broaden impact.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-11-25/environmental-litigation)
Open details for Study reveals effectiveness of environment-focused litigation in the U.S., but also large inequalities
Environment
### [With one of Rhode Island’s largest solar energy projects online, Brown moves toward net-zero emissions](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-11-20/dry-bridge)
November 20, 2024
Brown University is the sole off-taker for the Dry Bridge solar project in North Kingstown, a landmark renewable energy development generating enough power to offset about two-thirds of campus electricity use.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-11-20/dry-bridge)
Open details for With one of Rhode Island’s largest solar energy projects online, Brown moves toward net-zero emissions
Environment
### [How do coexisting animals find enough to eat? Biologists unlock insights into foraging habits in Yellowstone](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-09-19/foraging)
September 19, 2024
Brown University ecologists teamed with National Park Service scientists in Yellowstone to answer a vexing question about how different wildlife species find enough to eat.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-09-19/foraging)
Open details for How do coexisting animals find enough to eat? Biologists unlock insights into foraging habits in Yellowstone
Environment
### [Corinne LePage: Embracing a love of horticulture to support domestic violence survivors](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-09-18/corinne-lepage)
September 18, 2024
Through determination, courage and a supportive community, LePage is flourishing as a nontraditional student at Brown and using her own experiences to help others on campus and beyond.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-09-18/corinne-lepage)
Open details for Corinne LePage: Embracing a love of horticulture to support domestic violence survivors
Environment
### [Yuna Yang: Protecting Rhode Island’s water resources through advocacy and education](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-07-18/yuna-yang)
July 18, 2024
From supporting environmental legislation to educating community members about sustainability, the rising Brown sophomore is taking a deep dive into local environmental advocacy this summer.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-07-18/yuna-yang)
Open details for Yuna Yang: Protecting Rhode Island’s water resources through advocacy and education
Environment
### [Tropical plant species are as threatened by climate change as widely feared, study confirms](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-07-18/epiphyte-extinction)
July 18, 2024
A study based on labor-intensive fieldwork and analysis by Brown biologists in tropical mountain regions shows that a warmer and drier climate will lead to massive losses of plant species.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-07-18/epiphyte-extinction)
Open details for Tropical plant species are as threatened by climate change as widely feared, study confirms
Environment
### [What happens after the globe reaches net-zero emissions?](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-02-05/net-zero-paper)
February 5, 2024
Brown climate scientist Baylor Fox-Kemper co-authored a new study of the diverse factors controlling global temperatures, offering a framework for improving warming predictions.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-02-05/net-zero-paper)
Open details for What happens after the globe reaches net-zero emissions?
Environment
### [Climate change effects hit marine ecosystems in multiple waves, according to marine ecologists](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-11-15/marine-climate)
November 15, 2023
A Brown professor and two Brown-trained scientists co-authored a research review proposing a ‘more realistic’ conceptual model for understanding current and future changes to marine ecosystems in the wake of climate change.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-11-15/marine-climate)
Open details for Climate change effects hit marine ecosystems in multiple waves, according to marine ecologists
Environment
### [Eliza Atwood: Researching wildlife nutrition and migration patterns in Yellowstone](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-07-13/eliza-atwood)
July 13, 2023
Knee-deep in prairie grasses, the rising Brown University senior is collecting plant samples and bison waste to expand biologists’ understanding of animal nutrition in the wild.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-07-13/eliza-atwood)
Open details for Eliza Atwood: Researching wildlife nutrition and migration patterns in Yellowstone
Environment
### [Brown makes strides toward fully electrifying its vehicles, groundskeeping equipment](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-06-29/electric)
June 29, 2023
As the University works toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, decreasing air and noise pollution is part of Brown’s broader commitment to sustainability.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-06-29/electric)
Open details for Brown makes strides toward fully electrifying its vehicles, groundskeeping equipment
Environment
### [Biden administration appoints Brown climate scientist Kim Cobb to President’s Intelligence Advisory Board](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-01-26/cobb-intelligence-board)
January 26, 2023
Cobb, a Brown University professor and director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will join a White House advisory board charged with providing independent counsel on U.S. intelligence matters.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2023-01-26/cobb-intelligence-board)
Open details for Biden administration appoints Brown climate scientist Kim Cobb to President’s Intelligence Advisory Board
Environment
### [Hoping for a quieter city, residents look to Brown research lab to analyze noise pollution in Providence](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-12-11/providence-noise-pollution)
December 11, 2022
By reporting noise levels across the city, Brown's Community Noise Lab is aiding local community members who are working to build awareness, action on the public health consequences of excessive noise exposure.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-12-11/providence-noise-pollution)
Open details for Hoping for a quieter city, residents look to Brown research lab to analyze noise pollution in Providence
Environment
### [Nina Lee: Investigating the impact of noise pollution on children’s health outcomes](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-30/lee)
August 30, 2022
As a research assistant in the Brown Community Noise Lab, Nina Lee has spent years monitoring noise levels across New England, advocating for environmental justice every step of the way.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-30/lee)
Open details for Nina Lee: Investigating the impact of noise pollution on children’s health outcomes
Environment
### [Victor Beck: Healing forests and underserved communities in northern California](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-18/beck)
August 18, 2022
Under the shade of redwood trees, Victor Beck and other queer students of color from Brown are working with a Black and Indigenous land collective to restore and steward a 900-acre forest.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-18/beck)
Open details for Victor Beck: Healing forests and underserved communities in northern California
Environment
### [Olivia McClain: Exploring hyperlocal air pollution in Providence](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-17/breathe-providence)
August 17, 2022
As a summer research assistant in Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, McClain is supporting research and building community connections.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-08-17/breathe-providence)
Open details for Olivia McClain: Exploring hyperlocal air pollution in Providence
Environment
### [Brown researchers turn up the heat on climate change solutions](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-07-15/solutions)
July 15, 2022
From researching the history of Indigenous land stewardship to developing nonpartisan policy ideas, collaborative scholarship at Brown aims to overcome obstacles to meaningful action on climate change.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-07-15/solutions)
Open details for Brown researchers turn up the heat on climate change solutions
Environment
### [Interactive Climate Opportunity Map shows benefits of future net-zero energy policies](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-07-06/map)
July 6, 2022
Created by scholars at the Climate Solutions Lab in Brown University’s Watson Institute, the map reveals what economic benefits individuals and communities could reap if the U.S. pursues a net-zero energy policy.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-07-06/map)
Open details for Interactive Climate Opportunity Map shows benefits of future net-zero energy policies
Environment
### [Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities, study finds](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-06-28/flooding)
June 28, 2022
A new study found that in Providence, R.I., and other cities, rising floodwaters are exposing more people to industrial pollution, and the issue is disproportionately affecting lower-income communities of color.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-06-28/flooding)
Open details for Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities, study finds
Environment
### [Melting Arctic ice could transform international shipping routes, study finds](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-06-22/arctic)
June 22, 2022
Melting ice in the Arctic Ocean could yield new trade routes in international waters, reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint and weakening Russia’s control over trade routes through the Arctic, a study found.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-06-22/arctic)
Open details for Melting Arctic ice could transform international shipping routes, study finds
Environment
### [Climate scientist Kim Cobb to lead Institute at Brown for Environment and Society](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-05-11/cobb)
May 11, 2022
A climate scientist and professor who comes to Brown from Georgia Tech, Cobb will lead IBES, an academic hub for scholars exploring the interactions between natural, human and social systems.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-05-11/cobb)
Open details for Climate scientist Kim Cobb to lead Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
Environment
### [Brown professor to lead World Meteorological Organization’s research board](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-01-11/lynch)
January 11, 2022
Amanda Lynch, a Brown University professor and inaugural director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will chair the board responsible for guiding the World Meteorological Organization’s research agenda.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-01-11/lynch)
Open details for Brown professor to lead World Meteorological Organization’s research board
Environment
### [Brown environmental expert testifies on equity in renewable energy before U.S. House committee](https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-07-16/lennon)
July 16, 2021
Myles Lennon, an assistant professor of environment and society and anthropology, urged members of Congress to support renewable energy research and innovation that could aid and protect marginalized communities in the U.S.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2021-07-16/lennon)
Open details for Brown environmental expert testifies on equity in renewable energy before U.S. House committee
Environment
### [With global scholarly network, Brown faculty to advance study of climate change countermovement](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-27/network)
October 27, 2020
The Climate Social Science Network, based at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will bring together leading scholars to catalyze collaborative research on the interests that are stalling climate action.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-27/network)
Open details for With global scholarly network, Brown faculty to advance study of climate change countermovement
Environment
### [Researchers step toward understanding how toxic PFAS chemicals spread from release sites](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-15/afff)
October 15, 2020
New lab studies are helping researchers to better understand how so called “forever chemicals” behave in soil and water, which can help in understanding how these contaminants spread.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-15/afff)
Open details for Researchers step toward understanding how toxic PFAS chemicals spread from release sites
Environment
### [Report issues climate-action recommendations for next U.S. president](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-08/report)
October 8, 2020
A report released by Brown’s Climate Solutions Lab urged the implementation of a carbon tax and a prohibition on fossil-fuel infrastructure spending, among other recommendations.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-10-08/report)
Open details for Report issues climate-action recommendations for next U.S. president
Environment
### [Three-year initiative at Brown will study, seek to eliminate roadblocks to climate action](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-09-29/climate)
September 29, 2020
The Climate Solutions Initiative will focus on overcoming barriers to confronting climate change, through scholarship, learning and research-informed infrastructure changes on campus, in Providence and beyond.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-09-29/climate)
Open details for Three-year initiative at Brown will study, seek to eliminate roadblocks to climate action
Environment
### [Brown scholar will use Carnegie fellowship to explore nature, politics in the Yukon](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-05-12/demuth)
May 12, 2020
The fellowship will allow Bathsheba Demuth, an environmental historian, to use the Yukon watershed as a case study for how different societies manage, protect and plunder their natural resources.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-05-12/demuth)
Open details for Brown scholar will use Carnegie fellowship to explore nature, politics in the Yukon
Environment
### [Where will we go when the water rises? Computer models may hold answers, research says](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-11-26/sealevelrise)
November 26, 2019
Computer models focused on current and potential policy decisions could help shed light on the future of migration caused by sea level rise, concluded a team of scholars that included Brown demographer Elizabeth Fussell.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-11-26/sealevelrise)
Open details for Where will we go when the water rises? Computer models may hold answers, research says
Environment
### [Study of African animals illuminates links between environment, diet and gut microbiome](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-11-04/herbivore-microbiome)
November 4, 2019
New research analyzing the diets and microbiomes of 33 large-herbivore species in Kenya yields surprising findings about the interplay between animal evolution, behavior and the gut microbiome.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-11-04/herbivore-microbiome)
Open details for Study of African animals illuminates links between environment, diet and gut microbiome
Environment
### [Migrating snowline plays outsized role in setting pace of Greenland ice melt](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-03-06/snowline)
March 6, 2019
Meltwater from Greenland’s ice sheet is a leading contributor to global sea level rise, and a Brown University study shows that an underappreciated factor — the position of the snowline on the ice sheet — plays a key role in setting the pace of melting.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-03-06/snowline)
Open details for Migrating snowline plays outsized role in setting pace of Greenland ice melt
Environment
### [Tiny satellites reveal water dynamics in thousands of northern lakes](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-02-14/cubesat)
February 14, 2019
In a finding that has implications for how scientists calculate natural greenhouse gas emissions, a new study finds that water levels in small lakes across northern Canada and Alaska vary during the summer much more than was assumed.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-02-14/cubesat)
Open details for Tiny satellites reveal water dynamics in thousands of northern lakes
Environment
### [Brown researcher sets up webcam to watch Maine ice disk](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-01-23/icedisk)
January 23, 2019
Chris Horvat, a postdoctoral scholar whose regular research on polar ice floes is temporarily derailed by the government shutdown, is using a strange ice disk (and internet sensation) as a research analog for sea ice.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-01-23/icedisk)
Open details for Brown researcher sets up webcam to watch Maine ice disk
Environment
### [Michigan team’s findings on PFAS contaminants could inform broader approach to mitigation](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-12-19/contaminants)
December 19, 2018
Brown epidemiologist and associate dean David Savitz led the Michigan governor’s PFAS Science Advisory Committee, focusing on the health impacts of a class of toxic contaminants.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-12-19/contaminants)
Open details for Michigan team’s findings on PFAS contaminants could inform broader approach to mitigation
Environment
### [Climate change will have region-specific impacts on human health, economy](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-12-10/climate)
December 10, 2018
Brown epidemiologist Gregory Wellenius was a contributing author to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, focusing on the risks and impacts residents of the Northeast will face.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-12-10/climate)
Open details for Climate change will have region-specific impacts on human health, economy
Environment
### [Amanda Lynch to deliver Presidential Faculty Award Lecture](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-30/lynch)
October 30, 2018
Lynch, a climate scientist who is active in environmental policy research, will discuss the implications of the rapidly advancing Anthropocene and the intersection of environmental policy and human rights.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-30/lynch)
Open details for Amanda Lynch to deliver Presidential Faculty Award Lecture
Environment
### [New, durable catalyst for key fuel cell reaction may prove useful in eco-friendly vehicles](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-16/catalyst)
October 16, 2018
The new catalyst, developed by Brown University researchers, exceeds Department of Energy targets for performing the oxygen reduction reaction, a key step in generating an electric current in a hydrogen fuel cell.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-16/catalyst)
Open details for New, durable catalyst for key fuel cell reaction may prove useful in eco-friendly vehicles
Environment
### [New study answers old questions about why tropical forests are so ecologically diverse](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-15/trees)
October 15, 2018
The population of a tropical tree increases mostly in places where it is rare, a Brown study found.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-10-15/trees)
Open details for New study answers old questions about why tropical forests are so ecologically diverse
Environment
### [Marcos Rodriguez: Analyzing forest growth](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-08-22/forest)
August 22, 2018
For the ecology and evolutionary biology concentrator, a summer spent in a Massachusetts forest offered the chance to explore forest ecology and a future career in research.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-08-22/forest)
Open details for Marcos Rodriguez: Analyzing forest growth
Environment
### [Projectile cannon experiments show how asteroids can deliver water](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-04-25/impacts)
April 25, 2018
New research shows that a surprising amount of water survives simulated asteroid impacts, a finding that may help explain how asteroids deposit water throughout the solar system.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-04-25/impacts)
Open details for Projectile cannon experiments show how asteroids can deliver water
Environment
### [Brown faculty member to play leadership role on global climate change report](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-04-05/fox-kemper)
April 5, 2018
Baylor Fox-Kemper will be a coordinating lead author for a key chapter in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s next global climate assessment report.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-04-05/fox-kemper)
Open details for Brown faculty member to play leadership role on global climate change report
Environment
### [Brown to explore pressing environmental issues in ‘WeatherProof’ series](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-03-22/weatherproof)
March 22, 2018
A series of public events and exhibitions staged in April by five University partner programs will confront climate change from a wide variety of perspectives.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-03-22/weatherproof)
Open details for Brown to explore pressing environmental issues in ‘WeatherProof’ series
Environment
### [New understanding of ocean turbulence could improve climate models](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-26/eddies)
February 26, 2018
Researchers have developed a new statistical understanding of how turbulent flows called mesoscale eddies dissipate their energy, which could be helpful in creating better ocean and climate models.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-26/eddies)
Open details for New understanding of ocean turbulence could improve climate models
Environment
### [Researchers discover new lead-free perovskite material for solar cells](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-13/lead-free)
February 13, 2018
Perovskite solar cells are a promising new low-cost photovoltaic technology, but most contain toxic lead; a team led by Brown researchers has introduced solar cells with a new titanium-perovskite material that gets the lead out.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-13/lead-free)
Open details for Researchers discover new lead-free perovskite material for solar cells
Environment
### [Effects of climate change can complicate the politics of military bases, study finds](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-05/militarybases)
February 5, 2018
Using an abandoned U.S. military base in Greenland as a case study, new Brown research explores how the impact of climate change on domestic and overseas military bases could cause a host of political and diplomatic problems.\
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-02-05/militarybases)
Open details for Effects of climate change can complicate the politics of military bases, study finds
Environment
### [Tidal cycles could help predict volcanic eruptions, study suggests](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-01-24/volcano)
January 24, 2018
A study of a New Zealand volcano suggests that a volcanic system's response to tidal forces could provide a tool for predicting a certain type of eruption.
[Read Article](https://www.brown.edu/news/2018-01-24/volcano)
Open details for Tidal cycles could help predict volcanic eruptions, study suggests
Previous
[Next](https://www.brown.edu/news/environment?page=0%2C1)