Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES)

How do bright lights affect sea turtles? - TPR: The Public's Radio Lights from cars, flashlights, houses and streetlights can all prevent turtles from navigating to their nesting grounds. This week on Possibly we explain how you can help keep sea turtles safe.

Lights from cars, flashlights, houses and streetlights can all prevent turtles from navigating to their nesting grounds. This week on Possibly, Aaron Seto and Esther Liu explain steps you can take today to keep sea turtles safe from light pollution.
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

@brownanthro.bsky.social @brownhist.bsky.social @brownpublichealth.bsky.social @annenberginstitute.bsky.social @brownarchaeology.bsky.social @cogutinstitute.bsky.social @watsonschoolbrown.bsky.social @brownupolisci.bsky.social

Postdoc opportunity! 📣

IBES seeks candidates for one or more distinguished Voss postdoc fellowships in any field relevant to environmental research. Appointments start July 2026 with an expected term of two years.

Learn more & submit step-one proposals by Sept 12: ibes.brown.edu/opportunitie...

Reconsidering space-for-time substitution in climate change ecology - Nature Climate Change Ecologists often leverage patterns observed across spatial climate gradients to predict the impacts of climate change (space-for-time substitution). We highlight evidence that this can be misleading n...

IBES Professor Dov Sax is coauthor of a new @natclimate.nature.com article, which critiques a common research method in ecology and suggests ways to improve the reliability of ecological forecasts.

The SouthCoast Wind project “will meet the energy needs of the state, it’s cost-justified, it’s in compliance with environmental laws & it doesn’t harm the environment,” IBES Prof @timmonsroberts.bsky.social said at a public forum last week. “This is a very minor cost for a very big social benefit.”

Should you buy farm-raised or wild salmon? - TPR: The Public's Radio This week on Possibly, we’re taking a look at what’s going behind the scenes of your local grocery store’s seafood aisle. When you choose between farm-raised and wild caught salmon, what environmental...

This week on Possibly, we’re taking a look at what’s going behind the scenes of your local grocery store’s seafood aisle. When you choose between farm-raised and wild caught salmon, what environmental impacts are you actually choosing between?

thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

IBES affiliate @maratimes.bsky.social, an assistant professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, lost her first federally funded grant from NASA earlier this year.

“One of my big concerns is that the trust in science and in scientists is broken,” she told @virginiagewin.bsky.social.

Sustainable Education Research Initiative: Bridging Education and Climate Change, Empowering Schools Professor Matthew Kraft launches new initiative with groundbreaking research.

You can read more about SustainableED below

Please reach out to us at sustainable-ed@brown.edu to get involved, join our mailing list, and help shape our future direction.

education.brown.edu/news/2025-07...

Many thanks to Grace & Sohil @annenberginstitute.bsky.social @brown-ibes.bsky.social.

@brdemuth.bsky.social @timmonsroberts.bsky.social @cssn.org @maratimes.bsky.social

Summer reads from IBES scholars Recent titles that inform and inspire fresh ways of thinking about people and the planet.

Looking for your next summer read? Check out this list of new and notable titles by IBES scholars! From exploring environmental history to modeling climate futures, each book invites readers to reflect on the world around them and their role in shaping it.

Schools are increasingly vulnerable to climate change & vital to advancing solutions.

Our synthesis illustrates why efforts to create more resilient schools & a more sustainable future need to be a central focus of education research, policy & practice.

edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1238

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How does air pollution affect our health? - TPR: The Public's Radio If you’ve been outside on a smoggy day, you’ve probably noticed that your body reacts poorly to bad air quality. Maybe you coughed, or got a headache. But what actually happens to your body when you b...

If you’ve been outside on a smoggy day, you’ve probably noticed that your body reacts poorly to bad air quality. Maybe you coughed, or got a headache. But this week on Possibly we explain, what actually happens inside your body when you breathe in polluted air?
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

New research challenges animal dietary classifications in Yellowstone National Park A federally funded analysis led by Brown University biologists found that different species of large herbivores have diets that are more diverse and complex than previously known.

Researchers in IBES and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology found that large herbivores eat more diverse diets than once thought.

The discovery that could sharpen conservation efforts by helping scientists better predict how wildlife use resources in changing ecosystems.

Are Species Timeless?: Talking with Bathsheba Demuth About the Arctic “There was an interdependence that was very clear in the animal relationships in the Arctic.”

“I wanted to reposition a place that is so often seen as a periphery. For people living in the Arctic, these are their homelands, so of course for them the region is the center of the world, in the sense that it’s the place where your imagination operates from.”

New faculty appointments advance climate-health research at Brown The Institute at Brown for Environment and Society is pleased to introduce two new faculty members jointly appointed in the School of Public Health: Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Professor of Epidem...

Please welcome the newest faculty members joining IBES and @brownpublichealth.bsky.social: Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou (Professor of @brown-epi.bsky.social & Environment and Society) and Meredith Niles (incoming Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences & Environment and Society)!

With support from an IBES Catalyst Research Award, the Sustainable Education Research Initiative (SustainableED) aims to advance research at the intersection of education systems and climate change.

Join the team for their first webinar next Tuesday, July 15!

Physics Professor and IBES Faculty Fellow Brad Marston discusses possible climate solutions in his new article for @aspendailynews.bsky.social, noting that we "need to carefully assess each of the solutions proposed to make sure we have the full picture of the costs, benefits and side effects."

Should we help plants and animals move if they can’t keep up with climate change? - TPR: The Public's Radio This week on Possibly, we’re looking at a practice called assisted migration – physically moving organisms whose habitats are shifting due to climate change. Should humans intervene to help species ke...

This week on Possibly, we’re looking at a practice called assisted migration – physically moving organisms whose habitats are shifting due to climate change. Should humans intervene to help species keep up with climate change?
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

Why are inequalities within science – an institution committed to novelty & innovation – so resistant to change?

This book provides a sobering set of answers & helps to make sense of current attacks on higher education & academic knowledge ↓
www.politybooks.com/...

What is carbon benchmarking? - TPR: The Public's Radio Carbon benchmarking is an important first step in tackling one of the US’s largest sources of carbon emissions: the buildings we live in.

This week on Possibly we're taking a look at carbon benchmarking, an important first step to tackling one of the US’s largest sources of carbon emissions: the buildings we live in.
Listen to the full episode now:
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, an incoming professor to @brown-epi.bsky.social and IBES, discussed the limitations of and current models for assessing wildfire-smoke exposure and its health impacts.

‘Subjects of the Sun’: Shining a light on obstacles, opportunities of equitable renewable energy Brown University environmental anthropologist Myles Lennon examines the complexity of sustainable energy infrastructure and explores solar solutions for working-class communities.

Myles Lennon, an associate professor in IBES and the Department of Anthropology, examines the complexity of sustainable energy infrastructure and explores solar solutions for working-class communities in his new book, “Subjects of the Sun.”

"One of the laws of conservation is that it never stops. It’s always got to evolve and be proactive as society changes and as the need changes. ... What I would love to see is this technology being an effective part of the portfolio."

Hear from Assoc IBES/Biology Prof Tyler Kartzinel in a new Q&A ⤵️

Congratulations to IBES Professor Amanda Lynch, whose term as chair of @wmo-global.bsky.social's Research Board has been extended for four more years!

Pictured from left to right: WMO leadership members Ko Barrett, Ian Lisk, Celeste Saulo, Lynch, and Michel Jean.

A forest reignited: Senior thesis sheds light on postfire regeneration in Rhode Island After a rare wildfire scorched part of southern Rhode Island, ENVS concentrator Diandra Polt ’25 saw a unique research opportunity. Her findings may shape the region’s ecological future.

In 2023, a high-intensity wildfire swept through part of the Queen's River Preserve in Exeter, RI. But where others saw only destruction, Diandra Polt '25 saw a window into forest resilience.

Learn about Polt's research, which reveals how wildfire may be an ally in New England forest conservation ⤵️

Sustainability Pioneer Harold Ward was an environmental studies elder, beloved by students and colleagues.

"Over more than 40 years, Ward helped pioneer the field of environmental studies and mentored scientists and activists who have carried his legacy far beyond College Hill."

Read Brown Alumni Magazine's obituary for Prof Emeritus Harold Ward, whose legacy lives on through IBES' mission and vision ⤵️

Tick Season is Here – What is Alpha-gal Syndrome? - TPR: The Public's Radio The syndrome, which can make you allergic to red meat, is spread by a type of tick that has become more common in Rhode Island. What should you know to stay safe?

Alpha-gal syndrome, which can make you allergic to red meat, is spread by a type of tick that has become more common in Rhode Island. On this week's episode of Possibly, we break down everything you need to know to stay safe during tick season.
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow think tank "has, for decades, been undermining the science of climate change and attacking efforts to address the issue," IBES Prof @timmonsroberts.bsky.social told @fieseler.bsky.social. "This is just their latest effort to destroy a climate solution."

What’s the climate impact of building wind turbines? - TPR: The Public's Radio Even though wind turbines offer emission-free energy, manufacturing, transporting and installing those turbines does create greenhouse gases. This week on Possibly we do the math and find that turbine...

Even though wind turbines create emission-free energy, manufacturing, transporting and installing those turbines does create greenhouse gases. This week on Possibly we do the math and find that turbines deliver emission savings in less than a year.
thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

IBES Welcomes Christina Virgo as Associate Director of Administration and Finance Virgo, an experienced higher-ed administrator, will oversee the Institute’s finances and operations in this multifaceted role.

IBES is excited to welcome Christina Virgo as Associate Director of Administration and Finance!

“IBES’s strong commitment to equity and public engagement aligns seamlessly with both my values and my operational strengths, making this role a natural and meaningful fit,” Virgo says.

Learn more ⤵️