News

New Map of “Stopover Hotspots” Provides Insights for Conservation of Eastern U.S. Migratory Landbirds
Jan. 9, 2023
Author
Written by Christian J. Rivera for the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents the first comprehensive map of autumn stopover hotspots of landbirds for the eastern United States. Stopover sites are locations where birds pause between migratory flights in order to rest…

Beyond the Negotiations at COP27
Jan. 6, 2023
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Written by Charles Fraser (MPA Student) and Glen Chua (AOS PhD Student) with contributors

At the center of any COP are the multilateral negotiations, which have traditionally focused on agreeing to common targets and frameworks for implementation applying to all countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This was true of COP27. But with most of the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement…

Two Rhode Island Coastal Flood Defense Projects Provide Lessons for Making Future Infrastructure Projects More Successful
Dec. 21, 2022
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Written by Keely Swan, Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

More than ten years have passed since Hurricane Sandy exposed New York City to devastating coastal flooding. Several cost-effective flood megaprojects, including levees and storm surge barriers, have been presented to the NY-NJ region to prevent future billion-dollar disasters, but none have moved forward. Researchers studying climate…

Opinion: To Keep the UN Framework Relevant, More Countries Should Provide Climate Finance
Dec. 8, 2022
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Written by Charles Fraser, MPA Student

Amidst multiple intersecting crises – huge climate impacts, food and energy shortfalls, crippling debt burdens – the old way of delivering development finance is clearly failing everyone, especially the most vulnerable. There are now reforms on the table that would deliver real impact. At the centre of these is the “

Europe’s Proposed Climate Plan will Outsource Deforestation and Harm Biodiversity
Nov. 30, 2022
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Written by Staff Writers

In July 2021, the European Union proposed a policy package that aimed to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by fifty-five percent by 2030. The series of laws known as “Fit for 55” are the subject of final negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Council, which represent EU country governments. However, a new analysis by…

Compounding Climate and Social Hazards Result in Different Migration Patterns around the World
Nov. 28, 2022
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Written by Hannah Reynolds/Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

Extreme drought related to climate change holds serious consequences for vulnerable communities, especially those who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. When droughts become sustained, additional climate disasters hit, and/or existing social vulnerabilities exacerbate the impacts of drought – also known as compound events – a population…

Michael Oppenheimer Writes Chapter in Greta Thunberg’s New Book
Nov. 16, 2022
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Written by Molly Seltzer, Office of Communications
Princeton climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer first came to the attention of climate activist Greta Thunberg in 2019, the year of the children’s strike that made the Swedish teenager a household name across the globe.

Thunberg’s team reached out to him after the release of an influential report on the world’s oceans that Oppenheimer…

COP27: Princeton Student Blog
Nov. 8, 2022
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6-18, 2022. This year, Princeton is sending a delegation of graduate students, researchers, and faculty to attend the proceedings. 

At…

Linking Energy and Wastewater Infrastructure a Triple Win for Climate, Water, and Operating Costs
Nov. 3, 2022
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Written by Keely Swan, Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

Coal-fired power plants are the second largest water user in China, requiring large volumes of freshwater for processing coal and cooling, and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, wastewater treatment plants generate millions of tons of sludge that must be disposed of and reclaimed water that can be reused for other…

Chronic Underfunding and Delays in Protecting Species Hinder the Endangered Species Act
Oct. 12, 2022
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Written by Columbia Climate School and Keely Swan, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Since its passage in 1973, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been the strongest law to prevent species extinctions in the United States, and has served as a model of conservation policy to other nations. However, the law has resulted in relatively few successes in helping species recover. Out of more than one thousand species that have…