Meet the IGS fellows from the College of Engineering - Alexander, who’s researching materials to capture atmospheric CO2; Lizzy, who's trying to improve AI model efficiency; and Jiguang, who’s studying how 5G/6G tech could make weather forecasts more accurate! Learn more: spr.ly/63322BEz8D2

New research by Ayse Coskun and colleagues shows AI data centers can provide 18-55% power flexibility to support grid stability. As these facilities reach 50+ GW by 2030, this flexibility could be critical for grid resilience. Published at ACM e-Energy '26. Read more: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

A warm welcome to IGS’s Fellows from @busph.bsky.social: Grace, who studies the pathways for decarbonizing heating and improving AC efficiency in Boston homes, and Feven, who studies the health effects of biomass fuel on children in Ethiopian homes. Learn more: spr.ly/63325BEKAn9

BU Earth & Environment professor and IGS associate director Cutler J. Cleveland published the op-ed “Improve Mass Save, don’t shrink it” in The Boston Globe, in which he argues that the energy efficiency program should be reformed rather than cut back. Read more: spr.ly/63322BEK2Tq

@patriciafabian.bsky.social is increasingly bringing her community-led, transdisciplinary research approach to the world stage. "The idea is that there are diverse efforts underway all over the world, and we are helping cities learn from each other," Fabian says. Full Q&A ➡️

Community-led research is paving a path toward a more just clean energy future in New England. A multi-institution research team is working to understand, document, and amplify the experiences of two New England communities that have recently adopted offshore wind projects. Keep reading ➡️

Tawnya Smith’s book chapter “Must We Define Music as an Anthropocentric Endeavor? Toward an Eco-centric Identity” proposes a new approach to music education that includes non-human sounds as a form of music to help people connect with the natural world. 🎶🌳 link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

We’re welcoming Postdoctoral Associate Frederic Traylor to IGS! 👋 Dr. Traylor brings expertise in organizational sociology and science communication and will be researching barriers and pathways to renewable energy adoption and climate solution acceptance. Learn more: www.bu.edu/igs/profile/...

IGS & Pardee Center Summer Fellows came together to collaborate on sustainability research spanning climate adaptation, health equity, and more. Thanks to Patrick Keys for the insights and to our research community for the connections!

Boston University Researchers Team Up with Massachusetts to Launch New Clean Energy Tools Collaboration with the state produces online data tools that aim to help cities and towns implement greener energy programs.

Invasive plants can dramatically change ecosystems, and a new paper in the journal Biological Invasions reveals more about how they do it. 🌲 The results support the idea of "invasional meltdown," in which invasive species help one another take over.

Welcome to the third cohort of CELT Municipal Fellows! ☀️ This summer, they will join municipalities and regional planning agencies across Massachusetts to help advance clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainability projects in communities throughout the Commonwealth.

The Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize was awarded to PhD student Pranav Sultania, who designed a compact and energy-conserving fluid pump for research labs inspired by squid propulsion. The Prize goes to one Campus Climate Lab project each year. www.bu.edu/articles/202...

NEW STUDY: US consumers prefer smartphones with sodium-sulfur (NaS) batteries over lithium ones, per Emily Ryan & colleagues. Preference for NaS batteries is bipartisan, especially when consumers are informed of their sustainability. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"Center people, not pollutants," said @patriciafabian.bsky.social at Boston's Air Quality Summit. Poor air quality impacts respiratory health, cardiovascular function, cognition, memory & fertility. Community leaders, researchers & policymakers united to tackle air pollution & health inequalities.

Congratulations to IGS affiliated Marcel Rindisbacher and Lynne Allen on being named interim deans of the Questrom School of Business and the College of Fine Arts. Two academic and administrative leaders bringing decades of expertise to these critical roles. Both assume their positions on July 1.

The CELT Initiative unifies public resources and academic research expertise for climate resilience and workforce development. Read all about the interdisciplinary team advancing equitable clean energy in MA ⬇️

Ninety-three percent of gas-served homes had indoor methane concentrations higher than those in gas-free homes, find @nathanpboston.bsky.social & colleagues. Their new study is a step toward better understanding the potential health outcomes of in-home gas exposure: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

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.