Climate and Sustainability

As the climate changes due to human activities, our projects are focused on how society can adapt to live in a manner that has less of an impact on the natural environment.

COP28 Around American University
November 30, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
As all eyes turn towards Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties to discuss climate change on a global scale, we are taking this opportunity to look inward to the work happening across American University’s campus related to climate policymaking and COP28. CECE will also be co-hosting a live event with We Don’t Have […]
Article: How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference
November 28, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
Nature has just published “How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference.” By CECE Director Dana R. Fisher, Oscar Berglund, and Colin J. Davis. The piece integrates Fisher’s research on climate protests and the growing radical flank in climate activism with Berglund and Davis’ work on public responses to climate action, which […]
CECE Announces Inaugural Faculty Research Incubator Grants
November 25, 2023
Malini Ranganathan, Rosalind Donald, Scott Freeman, Michael Alonzo
This fall, the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity commenced the CECE Faculty Research Incubator Program: a new funding program designed to launch exciting, interdisciplinary work on the environment conducted by faculty teams from programs across campus. By the end of the academic year, teams are expected to have built out their projects, piloted the […]
Developing Research Strategies to Assess the Expanding Work on Climate Adaptation, Resilience, and [...]
November 14, 2023
W. Chris Jayko, Dana R. Fisher
CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher has secured funding from Americorps to support a three-year project: Developing Research Strategies to Assess the Expanding Work on Climate Adaptation, Resilience, and Mitigation at AmeriCorps. The project builds on a long-term partnership with collaborators from across the US government in the USDA US Forest Service and Department of Interior/National […]
Carbon Removal Justice Fellows Program
November 14, 2023
Simon Nicholson, Jenn Brown
This past July, eleven fellows in the Carbon Removal Justice Fellows Program convened for two weeks of intensive discussions, launching a year of continued engagement on the equity and justice dimensions of carbon removal policy. Their aim? To challenge this emerging industry to break away from the patterns of environmental injustice that have characterized emissions-generating […]
Kogod Sustainability Speaker Series
November 14, 2023
Parthiban David
The most recent discussion in the Gamechangers in Sustainability speaker series took place last spring, on Earth Day. The Kogod School of Business concluded the Spring 2023 lineup with a panel of innovative women, to discuss how they have worked to create a more sustainable world. The discussion was moderated by AU’s very own Danielle […]
The Climate Story Gaps Project: Locating Untold Climate Intersections in Washington, D.C.
November 14, 2023
Malini Ranganathan, Rosalind Donald
The first project of the inaugural Faculty Research Incubator Program is entitled “The Climate Story Gaps Project: Locating Untold Climate Intersections in Washington, D.C.”. The research team is made up of professors from both the School of Communication and the School of International Service. Dr. Rosalind Donald (School of Communication), Dr. Malini Ranganathan (SIS), Dr. […]
Remote Sensing and Knowledge Co-Production in Northern Haiti
November 14, 2023
Scott Freeman, Michael Alonzo
The second research project from the Faculty Research Incubator Program comes from a collaboration across the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of International Service. Entitled “Remote Sensing and Knowledge Co-Production in Northern Haiti,” this project by Dr. Michael Alonzo (CAS) and Dr. Scott Freeman (SIS) focuses on co-producing knowledge about land and environment […]
CECE Director discusses findings from the March to End Fossil Fuels
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
During Climate Week 2023 in New York City, CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher, spoke with Environmental Educator & Creator of QueerBrownVegan, Isaias Hernandez about her work around climate activism. The conversation took place at the We Don’t Have Time-coordinated Climate Hub and included the findings from her survey of participants at the March to End Fossil […]
CECE Director talks US Open climate protest with TMZ Live
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
In the build up to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit in NYC in September, climate activists worked to raise awareness of the climate crisis through numerous non-violent acts of civil disobedience. Particularly memorable actions took place on Thursday, September 7th, when three activists delayed a game at the US Open in NYC with […]
Vox’s Today Explained Podcast with CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher
October 25, 2023
Dana R. Fisher
CECE Director, Dana R. Fisher, spoke with Noelle King from Vox about how the radical flank is growing in the climate movement in the US. The interview appeared on the Today Explained Podcast on September 26th. It was also written up into this piece: How radical should you be when you’re trying to save the […]
Addressing Climate Change Through Our Nation’s Service Corps
October 25, 2023
W. Chris Jayko, Dana R. Fisher, Erika S. Svendsen
Traditional Trades Advancement Program Year 1 As part of its work assessing how federal service corps programs are expanding their efforts to care for the environment and diversify their workforces, CECE is studying the Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP), a youth service project funded by the National Parks Service. This research aims to analyze TTAP through survey data […]