NEW: Through a collaboration with the state, IGS researchers are helping state agencies & municipalities address climate change and advance an equitable transition to green energy. They recently launched two new public tools to support local data-driven decision-making. www.bu.edu/articles/202...

That's a wrap on the 2026 Terriers Trek Through Boston Challenge! Team "I Get Steps" collectively walked ~2,770 miles over the course of the challenge, the distance from Boston to Portland, OR. 👟🏅 Had a blast with collaborators across campus. Thankful for this @bostonu.bsky.social community!

Boston Climate Week energized our city—and our office. We hosted two packed events on climate education and solar geoengineering, bringing together officials, scientists, activists, and leaders and sparking new connections. Thank you to all who joined us.

Welcome Alexa Kwon to IGS! 🎉 Our new Communications Specialist brings expertise in design and environmental/life science communication. Learn more: spr.ly/63327B8DJiN

Celebrating two years of discovery, collaboration, and smiles as Postdoc Erin Heinz prepares to transition to her next role as a sociology professor. Erin supported IGS's partnership w/ Schneider Electric, leading research on the social, political, and economic hurdles to building decarbonization.

Kudos to @davabel.bsky.social & @ericbot73.bsky.social for organizing @misibu.bsky.social's "Stories from a Warming World." Journalists, filmmakers, activists, and scholars shared reflections on living on a changing planet. A powerful reminder of the power of storytelling, hosted at @wbur.org.

The 2026 IGS Summer Fellows have arrived ☀️ Eleven @bostonu.bsky.social grad students from the College of Engineering, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, @bucas.bsky.social, @buquestrom.bsky.social, and @busph.bsky.social comprise the new cohort. www.bu.edu/igs/2026/05/...

In a sunny stretch of the Andes in Chile, the solar industry is booming — and so is theft of solar panels, cables, and other equipment. What happens to these materials once they're stolen? @sovacool.bsky.social discusses with @bloomberg.com:

Beyond being a New England staple, #Oysters also play a role in habitat protection and nutrient regulation. In three lab experiments, @wallyfulweiler.bsky.social and colleagues explore their impact on #phytoplankton communities. Results: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

"Energy justice is about the kind of injustices of many of the interventions we want to use to fight climate change, like electric vehicles and heat pumps and solar panels," @sovacool.bsky.social explains on the Signals of Change podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/7prF...

www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/05/is-t... Another article reporting our results – right now, just deploying renewable energy is more cost effective at reducing CO2 than DAC. "fix your broken faucet before you start mopping the floor"

@bostonu.bsky.social's first-ever Geospatial Technologies Symposium: 140+ attendees, expert panels, student posters, and exhibitors all exploring the power of geographic and mapping tools. 🗺️

🎉 Patricia Fabian (patriciafabian.bsky.social), of busph.bsky.social & IGS, was awarded the individual Resilient Boston Award at the Boston Climate Leader Awards, hosted by mayorwu.boston.gov and boston.gov: www.boston.gov/news/mayor-w... (Mayor’s Office Photo by Jeremiah Robinson)

New study finds renewables are a cheaper climate solution than #DAC. @jjbuonocore.bsky.social tells @gizmodo.com: "We found that $100 million will reduce much more CO2 if this was invested in wind or solar, especially in coal-heavy grids in the U.S., than if it was invested in direct air capture."

A single hyperscale data center can consume as much electricity as a city, IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social says on Morning Wave in Busan, pointing to the higher energy bills and other negative effects residents living near data centers face. Full interview: spr.ly/63327BBdt0D

“Being employed is good for your health, but environmental pollution is bad for your health, and these two things are operating at the same time in some communities,” @marydwillis.bsky.social tells @eos.org's @gvd.bsky.social on shifting life expectancies as coal dwindles.

We have a new study out, with Yannai Kashtan at PSE Healthy Energy, @marydwillis.bsky.social, and a bunch of people not on here. In this paper we looked at how cost effective direct air capture is at reducing carbon in the atmosphere compared to deploying renewables www.nature.com/articles/s44...

DAC has substantial health and climate opportunity costs 💡If we want the biggest #climate and #health impact per dollar, scaling renewable electricity remains the far more effective path. @jjbuonocore.bsky.social @marydwillis.bsky.social @bostonu.bsky.social @busph.bsky.social @bu-igs.bsky.social

As a #CommunityOrganizer and an #UrbanPlanner, Darien Alexander Williams’ research interests intersect in his work on #SpatialJustice in Florida, which recently expanded to several global locations. Full Q&A: www.bu.edu/igs/2026/04/...

The ENERGIZE NRT 2026 Symposium, hosted at BU, created a space for sharing cutting-edge research, strengthening academic–industry connections, and highlighting emerging talent within the ENERGIZE program. Learn more about ENERGIZE's approach to graduate student training: www.bu.edu/igs/research...

Norway has historically had abundant clean energy, which has been channeled into energy-intensive data centers, many of which are now posed to power AI. In a recent seminar, Visiting Researcher Mads Dahl Gjefsen examined the socio-environmental impacts of digital transformation in Norway.

@commscholar.bsky.social talks to @columjournreview.bsky.social about how major news outlets are influenced by oil companies in their climate coverage. Her latest book, Content Confusion, goes further into the intricacies of native advertising hidden in news media.

Driving meaningful dialogue 🌍 @sovacool.bsky.social & @patriciafabian.bsky.social spoke at the Boston International Affairs Summit last month on #Sustainability in #GlobalContexts.

Supported by the Sloan Foundation, IGS's @sovacool.bsky.social & @drxdunlap.bsky.social have released two studies identifying sustainability concerns and illuminating opportunities for improved transparency and justice in solar and electronic waste recycling. Links below ⬇️

NEW STUDY: Phasing out coal can improve health by reducing exposure to pollution and dangerous working conditions. But the coal industry has also provided stable employment associated with increased average life expectancy. Results point to the need for replacement jobs for a just transition.

Can we ever have enough AI? Join us for lunch next Tuesday, April 14, and hear from IGS Visiting Researcher Mads Dahl Gjefsen, an expert on governance issues and challenges around data centers in the Nordic region. Learn more & RSVP: spr.ly/63325B6Q69W

This year's Earth Day 365 calendar is full of immersive, unique opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with our environment, right here on BU's campus! 📅 🌏 IGS is proud to support three Earth Month events. Check out the full calendar: www.bu.edu/sustainabili...

BU's ENERGIZE equips PhD students to tackle sustainable energy through convergent graduate education. The team recently networked with peers at the 2026 NRT Annual Meeting in Colorado. Learn more about this unique program at the upcoming annual event - RSVPs now open! spr.ly/63329B6UTYU

RSVP now for BU African Studies Center’s Climate Change and Tomorrow’s Africa conference on April 16th and 17th! 🌍 This FREE conference will feature a panel chaired by IGS Postdoc Nellie Amosi on Climate Impacts on Human and Ecosystem Health in Africa.

🌳 At IGS's first Convergent Conversations event, panelists from multiple disciplines came together to discuss solutions to boost investment in nature-based solutions while advancing economic development. Event recap & recording now available: www.bu.edu/igs/2026/04/...

Prominent newsrooms now produce sneaky native ads that look like their regular reported content. To fight back against this form of climate misinformation, Michelle Amazeen (spr.ly/63325B6msAR) has launched a public tip line where readers can report any native ads they encounter. ⬇️

In 2025, #Zimbabwe accounted for nearly 10% of global #Lithium production, yet less than 10% of people living near mining operations rate the socio-economic development of their areas positively. A new @gdp-center.bsky.social report identifies steps to realize the sector’s developmental potential.

On April 6, join IGS Director Benjamin Sovacool (spr.ly/63320B6bI8y) on Zoom for a keynote address on the social dimensions of industrial decarbonization. In this talk, learn about the Just Transition framework and pathways for equitable and accelerated low-carbon transition.

Focusing on the stories of three women in the United States, Monica L. Wang's new book, The Collective Cure, demonstrates how health is "shaped by neighborhood conditions, economic opportunities, and by larger systems," she says. Read her full Q&A

“This is not the time for New York to back down,” 65 scientists, including Benjamin Sovacool (sovacool.bsky.social) and Nathan Phillips, write in a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul as she strives to alter and delay the state’s 2019 climate law. Full story in nytimes.com

@bostonu.bsky.social is hosting its first-ever Geospatial Data & Technologies Symposium on April 22 - and IGS is proud to be a co-sponsor! This free event is open to all BU students, faculty, and staff interested in how geospatial data and technology are used at BU. Register: sites.bu.edu/gisday

Register now for the April 9 ENERGIZE NRT Annual Symposium 🔋 ⚡ This event will bring together researchers, students, and industry partners for a full day of scientific exchange centered on this year’s theme: Data‑Driven Discovery in Sustainable Energy Materials.

A plan to install 10,000 new induction stoves in New York City could bring cleaner indoor air to residents and ease stress on the electric grid. @jjbuonocore.bsky.social discusses with @insideclimatenews.org: insideclimatenews.org/news/1603202...

"News organizations can be bought by corporations. What's happening is that the journalism industry has been weakened now," @commscholar.bsky.social Michelle Amazeen says in a new podcast episode about the growing problem of native advertising. Listen below ⬇️

On March 30, @misibu.bsky.social's Media & Public Trust seminar welcomes @gwellenius.bsky.social. He will discuss the scientific knowledge gap between environmental health risks and effective #publichealth and how to communicate results to communities. Register now: spr.ly/63324B6zgjC

Join Patrick Keys for a Pardee Research Seminar on Unliteral Solar Geoengineering. His work explores how society will navigate climate and societal turbulence toward a sustainable and just future. Register now for the 3/23 event, hosted by @bupardeeschool.bsky.social:

Apply by 3/27: The Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact (MISI) at @comatbu.bsky.social is seeking applications for its 2026-27 Trust and Storytelling Fellowship. For practitioners, scholars, activists, storytellers, and artists in climate change, violence intervention, migration.

@eabarnes.bsky.social & team use AI to reconcile massive datasets, accelerating insights into how air, water, land, ice, and life interact to better predict climate and extreme weather. She says "if you’re trained as an Earth scientist, you’re already trained to think about big data."

In a TEDAI talk, @aysekivilcim.bsky.social describes an idea to transform AI facilities into virtual batteries that help stabilize the grid and accelerate clean energy. She says the technology causing this crisis — #AI — might be a tool to help fix it.

Pamela Templer (bucas.bsky.social distinguished professor & IGS core faculty) has been elected president of the Ecological Society of America for a 3-year term. ESA is the world's largest community of professional #ecologists. Full announcement: esa.org/blog/2025/12...

🦪 After a century, parts of Boston Harbor are safe for shellfish harvesting — a win for diners, businesses, and the environment. In a new article, Wally Fulweiler discusses the decades-long cleanup in the Harbor, the role filter feeders, and PEARL, her mobile research lab.

📣 CAREER OPPORTUNITY: IGS is hiring a Communications Specialist to join our team and help us reach key audiences within and beyond BU. 📝 🎥 💻 Apply now! ⬇️ jobs.silkroad.com/BU/External/...

@bostonu.bsky.social graduate students: apply through Thursday for IGS's Graduate Student Summer Fellows program. Fellowships include funding, faculty engagement, mentorship, and professional development. spr.ly/63324CA3Zy

"By confronting climate change, we promote good health," @jonlevybu.bsky.social & colleagues write in a new @theconversation.com article. Their piece is a response to the Trump admin's move to rescind the endangerment finding, which asserted that climate-warming gases also endanger health.

📅 Save the date: IGS's new event series Convergent Conversations kicks off March 19 at noon! Join us as we build interdisciplinary research connections across Boston University that address real-world sustainability challenges. Open to the public. Learn more & register: www.bu.edu/igs/2026/02/...