Climate Change

Another exciting weekend of performances exploring emotional responses to climate change will be the final event this semester sponsored by the Vanderbilt Eco-Grief Initiative. Experience mascots come to life, a revival of a beloved 1990s cartoon, a very tense focus group and some old-fashioned school spirit in these two plays developed in conversation with the Vanderbilt community.   Read More

New research shows that warming and aging act as a one-two punch, lowering mosquito lifespans and fanning the flames of bacterial infections. These findings highlight how climate change could alter the risks of disease spread by mosquitoes. Read More

Commissioned by the Eco-Grief Performance Project, a collaborative effort of the Science and Media Grand Challenge, the Theatre Department and the Curb Center, two plays are being performed Sept. 26-19; these works are expressions of complex emotions brought on by living in a changing climate. Read More

There is a burgeoning consensus among climate-minded policymakers and scholars that loosening zoning regulations to promote greater density while simultaneously tightening building efficiency standards can reduce emissions and address housing shortages that affect communities across the U.S. In a new paper, Christopher Serkin, Elisabeth H. & Granville S. Ridley Jr. Chair in Law at Vanderbilt Law School, argues that fewer restrictions may promote development activity, but there is no guarantee that it will result in greater density. Read More

Vanderbilt University will harness its global expertise in scientific discovery, technological innovation, public policy, law and education to launch the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate (VSEC). The multimillion-dollar investment follows a recommendation by an interdisciplinary working group to address the crucial societal challenge of ensuring a sustainable world. Read More

Working across multiple disciplines, Vanderbilt researchers found that a relatively small proportion of funds from two recent significant pieces of environmental law – the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 – could lead to an outsized reduction in emissions. Read More

Heglar will offer a public lecture at Vanderbilt at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, to kick off the Vanderbilt Eco-Grief Initiative, a yearlong interdisciplinary project that will use art to illustrate the emotions evoked by living through climate change.   Read More

Gabrielle Beck, a sophomore studying neuroscience and environmental policy, received an all-expense-paid invitation from National Climate Assessment program Director Allison Crimmins through her work as a Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education Fellow, where she has been able to take part in projects that deal directly with sustainability and climate change. Read More

Vanderbilt University recently hosted the Vanderbilt University-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Workshop on Climate Change and Environmental Justice, aiming to deepen collaborative research on climate change and discuss potential projects. The event, which emphasized the importance of environmental justice and resilience strategies, marked the continuation of the institutions’ efforts to collaborate on addressing global challenges. Read More

The Wond’ry’s Jaclyn Mothupi and School of Engineering’s Janey Camp contribute to Metro Nashville climate adaptation and resilience plan that prioritizes all Nashvillians. Read More

Janey Camp is part of a regional consortium developing programming to ensure equity in the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences workforce. The project recently won an $18 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read More

Vanderbilt University will participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 25, by turning off the exterior lights at West End Tower from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Vanderbilt’s participation, in coordination with Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office, is part of a Metro Nashville initiative to have businesses and organizations across the city collaborate to raise awareness about climate change.  Read More

As a leader in sustainability practices in higher education, Vanderbilt University was invited to participate in Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions, a two-day workshop in Washington, D.C., co-hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the University of Washington. Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain attended on behalf of Vanderbilt, which was the only institution in Tennessee to be invited. Read More

The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, has launched the Climate Innovation Accelerator program. Nashville small businesses and nonprofits will be matched with Vanderbilt, TSU and Fisk students and business mentors to develop climate-ready and future-fit business solutions. Read More

A dynamic group of Vanderbilt scholars—all women—with expertise in engineering, earth sciences, sociology and storytelling took to a global stage at the 27th annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, better known as COP27. Read More

With a newly developed technique, Vanderbilt professor Jessica Oster is revealing how prehistoric climate change shaped fire activity in California. Read More

How does climate change affect human health? How are animals and ecosystems similarly influenced, and how are these impacts interconnected? Join Charles Sanders, associate dean for research and professor of biochemistry, as he delves into these questions and more during the next Lab-to-Table Conversation from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Read More

Vanderbilt University is set to co-sponsor the webinar “Youth Climate Action: How Local Governments Can Learn from Generation Z” on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. CT. Read More

Vanderbilt School of Nursing nurses and a social scientist from the College of Arts and Science have launched the Climate, Energy and Health Equity Lab to mitigate health disparities related to climate change. Read More

Vanderbilt University has been selected to present in two venues at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP27, Nov. 15 at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Vanderbilt research assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and Vanderbilt Climate Change Initiative Director Leah Dundon’s proposal on Vanderbilt’s ongoing research in marine shipping... Read More