Research
[Research Paper] Making them pay: Comparing how environmental facts matter in two accountability [...]
How do polluters come to pay? In many popular depictions–think the George Clooney film Michael Clayton–the story ends when whistleblowers bring the facts of a powerful entity’s wrongdoing into the public sphere. Exposure and censure, presumably, follow. But even when facts come to light, they do not automatically count. Think of the many revelations about fossil […]
CECE Whitepaper No. 1: The 4Rs of Climate Work: A Case Study of AmeriCorps
CECE has published its inaugural whitepaper, focusing on climate work in service corps programs across the US. CECE Director, Dr. Dana Fisher authored the whitepaper that lays out a framework on the 4 Rs of climate work. The whitepaper uses data collected through semi-structed interviews with AmeriCorps leadership and staff to uncover how government agencies […]
Article: Same Old Story with a Different Ending: Homophily and preferential selection of [...]
CECE Director, Dr. Dana Fisher, CECE Project Manager, W. Chris Jayko, and University of Exeter Professor, Dr. Lorien Jasny, published a paper studying the US Climate Policy Network. The paper takes a deeper look into how a climate policy, in this case the Inflation Reduction Act, was passed in such a polarised network. Read the […]
An Untapped Opportunity for DC’s Media: Connecting the gaps in the climate conversation
Years of heavy industry pollution mean DC’s rivers aren’t safe for fishing or swimming. Many local media articles carry updates on the health of the water, but, as a study of local media my class carried out indicates, journalists may not be linking stories about related topics like river pollution, trash pickup, and more, to […]
Article: Busting Myths and Calls to Action – A Round-Up of Environmental Books
Saving Ourselves, by CECE Director Dana Fisher was discussed as part of a review of a “roundup of environmental books” in the Financial Times on February 12th. See the full review here.
Marine-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: The Promise and Peril
On Thursday, February 8th, the Institute of Responsible Carbon Removal convened a brown-bag presentation and discussion featuring Dr. Sara Nawaz, the Director of Research at American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy. Dr. Nawaz delivered a presentation entitled “Marine-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Promise and Peril,” which was moderated by Dr. Simon Nicholson. The […]
State of Deception Report Released on Mining and Water Rights in El Salvador
On Thursday, January 11, MiningWatch Canada hosted a press release event presenting the findings from the ‘State of Deception’ fact-finding report on the detained water defenders, mining, and the state of human rights under the Bukele regime in El Salvador. The report is co-authored by Robin Broad, a research professor in Environment, Development, and Health […]
COP28 DC Climate Hub
On Thursday, December 7th, CECE, The School of International Service, and We Don’t Have Time cohosted the COP28 DC Climate Hub. Policymakers, climate activists, journalists, and academic experts came together to discuss what is needed to ensure a just and equitable climate transition. This multi-panel event included: Ambassadors Up-Close: COP28 Reflections, The Power of Storytelling, […]
Six Students Awarded the Environmental Justice Community Lawyering Fellowship
Since 2019, American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Environmental and Energy Law (PEEL) has channeled a portion of its donations to support valuable opportunities for students, enabling them to engage in impactful study and work related to Environmental Justice. The initiative’s primary mission is to energize the next generation of AUWCL community lawyers […]
Article: How Effective are Climate Protests at Swaying Policy—and what could make a difference
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 Director discusses findings from the March to End Fossil Fuels
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 […]
Article: Interactive Stratospheric Aerosol Microphysics-Chemistry Simulations of the 1991 Pinatubo [...]
Dr. Valentina Aquila is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science at AU. As an atmospheric scientist, she studies aerosols, the suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air, in the atmosphere. She primarily focuses on how stratospheric aerosols from volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and anthropogenic sources can alter Earth’s climate […]