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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES)

@brown-ibes.bsky.social
710 followers 275 following 383 posts

Empowering people, driving solutions for a sustainable world. ibes.brown.edu

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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Congratulations to IBES and DEEPS Professor Amanda Lynch, who was recently named an Expert Fellow of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)! The GCSP is an international foundation aiming to advance peace, security and international cooperation.
gcsp.ch
GCSP External Expert | Dr Amanda H. Lynch
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“This isn’t going to make us back down. Maybe it’s a little intimidating in certain ways, but we’re not giving up..I think it’s just a matter of time before the fossil fuel industry is held accountable.” Cites @brown-ibes.bsky.social @climatedevlab.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/environment/...
motherjones.com
Judges keep striking down climate laws. Some states are fighting back.
Inside the high-stakes legal battle over climate superfund legislation.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
For Lucie Johnson ’27, climate solutions start at the molecular level. As an IBES Undergraduate Voss Fellow, she is exploring how chemistry can help address one of the world’s most persistent environmental challenges: plastic pollution. Learn about Johnson's research on biodegradable plastics:
ibes.brown.edu
Meet Voss Fellow Lucie Johnson ’27: Building a more sustainable plastics landscape
Johnson’s research could guide the development of sustainable plastics—and a more sustainable future.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This summer, the federal government moved to narrow environmental protections included in the Endangered Species Act. Now, Rhode Island is filing lawsuits to challenge these changes, @browndailyherald.bsky.social reports. IBES faculty members Tyler Kartzinel and Dov Sax offered commentary:
browndailyherald.com
R.I. files two lawsuits challenging changes in Endangered Species Act implementation
The lawsuits were filed by a coalition of 20 other states and Washington, D.C.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Visiting IBES Professor Robert Brulle offered commentary for @grist.org ⤵️
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A lot of us flush our old medication without much thought, but the side effects of that habit can show up in our water. Good news: we can all help fix it for free. Listen to this week's episode wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on our Youtube channel. www.youtube.com/@ask-possibly
oceanstatemedia.org
How do our medications affect our waste water?
A lot of us flush or toss our old medication without much thought, but the side effects of that habit can show up in our water. Good news: we can all help fix it for free
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
IBES affiliate Ankur Shah, an associate professor at @brownmedicine.bsky.social, spoke to @gohealio.bsky.social about how climate change is driving demand for kidney-related treatment, and how that treatment could in turn affect the environment.
healio.com
Connecting climate and kidney health: What the data show
This summer was the hottest on record for the contiguous United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Temperatures are projected to rise during the next decade and ...
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Continuing coverage: Voss Postdoc @elodiefreymann.bsky.social co-authored a study finding that African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they are sick. More in @people.com:
people.com
Kenya’s Mount Elgon Elephants Seem to Know Which Plants Heal Them — and They’re Passing the Knowledge on to Their Calves
A Kenya study suggests wild African elephants may seek medicinal plants for illness and may mix plant remedies into milk for their calves.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
With IBES' support, a record 36 Brown University students spent the summer exploring diverse career paths in climate, sustainability, and the environment through internships with local and global organizations. Learn about their experiences through photos and videos:
ibes.brown.edu
Brown students explore climate careers through IBES summer internships
A record 36 Brown students spent the summer working with organizations across the U.S. and around the world, exploring diverse career paths in climate, sustainability, and the environment.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
IBES Voss Postdoc @elodiefreymann.bsky.social is among the lead researchers of a new study in @nature.com Scientific Reports 💡 Freymann and her team found that African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they're sick. Read more in BBC:
bbc.com
Elephants treat themselves with medicinal plants, witnesses say
African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they are sick, research reveals.
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Sierra Magazine @sierramagazine.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There have been four global coral bleaching events recorded since 1998, with coral experiencing its sharpest decline of nearly 9 percent between 2023 and 2024, according to a recent report. This occurred during the last El Niño event. Researchers say this year's El Niño could be way worse.
sierraclub.org
Corals Face an Existential Threat as the Super El Niño Heats Up
These marine invertebrates are already at risk from the climate crisis and rising ocean temperatures
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Bento Bio 🧬 @bento.bio · 21/09/2026
Some summer camps have canoes. HelmCamp has necropsies, microscopes, PCR and parasite DNA. See what participants discovered on their 10 day journey of discovery at La Selva Research Station in Costa Rica. bento.bio/story/one-sa...
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Matthew A Kraft @matthewakraft.com · 22/09/2026
Companion @pnas.org podcast just dropped for our paper, "US schools’ proximity to environmental hazard sites: A national analysis" #SustainableED Listen in here 🔊🎧🎤 www.pnas.org/post/podcast... Paper link: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... Open access: edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1384
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SustainableED @edsustainable.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
📢 Announcing the 26-27 SustainableED Virtual Seminar Series! We're hosting 4 seminars synthesizing research at the intersection of education and climate change: 10/5 @joshua-goodman.com 11/16 Cassandra R. Davis 2/1 Patricia Fabian 3/8 Oren Pizmony-Levy Register: linktr.ee/edsustainable
Seminar series poster sharing the headshots, speaker names, talk titles, and times for the 2026-27 SustainableED Virtual Seminar Series. The talks listed proceed as follows:

- October 5, 2026, Joshua Goodman, "Something in the Air - Environmental Conditions, Student Learning, and School Infrastructure"

- November 16, 2026, Cassandra R. Davis, "A Call to Justice: Understanding how Environmental Disasters Disrupt our Schools, Students, and Communities and Providing Guidance to Enact Change"

- February 1, 2027, Patricia Fabian, "Lessons from the First U.S. School Districts with Real-Time Indoor Environmental Quality Sensors in Classrooms"

- March 8, 2027, Oren Pizmony-Levy, "Does the Public Support Climate Change Education? What Americans Think Schools Should Teach About Climate Change"
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. On this week's episode, we talk to @paulosanalysis.com to see if they live up to the hype. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts.
oceanstatemedia.org
What is plug-in solar?
Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. This week we see if they live up to the hype
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
IBES & @brown-epi.bsky.social Assoc Prof Allan Just offered commentary for a recent article in @knowablemag.bsky.social, remarking on the importance of new technology for creating accurate epidemiologic health models and recommendations for communities exposed to pollution.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The ENVS Seminar Series begins next week! Spend Thursday lunchtimes exploring where Environmental Sciences & Studies can lead, with insights from faculty, staff, grad students, and alumni in a wide range of fields. Explore all of the topics and speakers on the IBES website: ibes.brown.edu/events
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Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
LISTEN NOW🎧 The RI Voices survey finds 84% of Rhode Islanders ARE taking some actions to protect our environment. Professor Allan Just says this means "Rhode Islanders value the place that they live in, and they're willing to small and large changes in order to help secure our future."
buzzsprout.com
Green Space & Climate Change - Rhode Island Voices: A Podcast for the RI Life Index
In this episode of Rhode Island Voices, host Dr. Melissa Clark is joined by Dr. Allan Just of the Brown University School of Public Health to explore how climate change and access to green space are shaping health and well-being across Rhode Islan...
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Climate Solutions Lab @climatesollab.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
CSL Director @jeffcolgan.bsky.social talks to the @wsj.com about the ballooning fuel costs of the US war with Iran www.wsj.com/business/ene...
wsj.com
Americans Have Spent $100 Billion More on Fuel During the Iran War
Higher gasoline and diesel prices have led many families to save less and curb spending elsewhere.
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On this week's episode, researcher Emmanuel Oyewole at @urigso.bsky.social explains to Possibly that offshore wind turbines appear to be providing new ecosystems for Jonah crabs. Find out more wherever you get your podcasts or at the link below. www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...
oceanstatemedia.org
Are offshore wind turbines helping New England’s crab population?
Researcher Emmanuel Oyewole explains to Possibly that offshore wind turbines appear to be providing new ecosystems for Jonah crabs
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Brown University @brown.edu · 14/09/2026
A new study led by Brown researchers found that younger U.S. military veterans had higher levels of PFAS — “forever chemicals” linked to a range of health risks — than non-veterans of similar ages. The findings could help guide health screenings for veterans.
brown.edu
Study: Young military veterans have higher ‘forever chemical’ levels than non-veterans
A study led by Brown University researchers provides evidence that younger military veterans should consider getting screened for elevated PFAS levels and related health conditions.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A new episode of @npr.org's science podcast, Short Wave, features insights from IBES Voss Postdoc @elodiefreymann.bsky.social, a primatologist who studies self-medication in chimpanzees. Tune in to to learn about how animals treat themselves when they get sick or hurt:
npr.org
Chimp convalescence, ant amputation: the wild world of animal doctors : Short Wave
When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many other animals do a version of i...
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
“El Niños have been acting like a stair step,” IBES Director @kimcobb.bsky.social told @sonofjud.bsky.social, noting that global temperatures tend to spike during an El Niño, then drop, but to levels above the previous baseline. “That’s what frightens me,” she said. Read the full story:
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
IBES & Bio Prof James Kellner delivered the keynote speech at Brown Convocation on Tuesday, encouraging students to “point your freedom toward knowledge [and] have the courage to say what you think.” Watch the ceremony, with Kellner's remarks around minute 52: livestream.brown.edu
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Should we cut down trees to put up solar panels? Science can help put that question in context, IBES Prof Stephen Porder writes in @ecorinews.bsky.social. Read Porder's ideas on the costs & benefits of clearing forests for solar, and how proper carbon math can help determine where panels should go:
ecori.org
Trees vs. Solar Panels: Getting the Carbon Math Right - ecoRI News
There is no perfect solution; we are faced with a series of "less bad" choices.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
After decades of teaching, scholarship & service, Profs Timmons Roberts & Kurt Teichert are entering their last academic year at Brown University. As they prepare to retire, they behind a lasting legacy through the students they mentored, research they advanced & communities they served. Read on:
ibes.brown.edu
IBES celebrates the contributions and legacies of J. Timmons Roberts and Kurt Teichert
This fall marks the start of Roberts’ and Teichert’s final academic year at Brown. As they prepare to retire, they leave a lasting legacy through decades of teaching, scholarship, and service.
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Experts say the devastating floods in Nepal at the end of August were caused in part by melting glaciers. On this episode from 2023, the Possibly team talks to @matthias-huss.bsky.social about why these glaciers are melting, and what we can do about it. Listen at the link below.
oceanstatemedia.org
What’s happening to the world’s glaciers?
Experts say the devastating floods in Nepal at the end of August were caused in part by melting glaciers. On this episode from 2023, the Possibly team looks into why these glaciers are melting, and wh...
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Meet Voss Fellow Isidora Stevens ’28! Stevens spent the summer studying land stewardship & ecosystem change in the Upper Rio Grande Basin through community interviews & vegetation mapping. Watch along & learn more about her research: ibes.brown.edu/news/2026-09-01/isid…
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 03/09/2026
Brown University researchers found the oil lobby is succeeding in tanking state bills that aim to make polluters pay, despite supporters outnumbering the bill critics. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/03/o...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Oil lobby tanking climate Superfund bills in Oregon, 11 states despite public support, study finds • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Brown University researchers found testimony from fossil fuel lobbyists has had disproportionate impact on climate Super
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
IBES affiliate, @edsustainable.bsky.social director & @brownedudept.bsky.social prof @matthewakraft.com discussed the impact of natural disasters on school attendance. Read @anya1anya.bsky.social's full article:
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Matthew A Kraft @matthewakraft.com · 17/08/2026
Really enjoyed my conversation with Josh Cowen. We discuss #SustainableED's new paper showing how shockingly common it is for K12 schools to be located near toxic sites. @edsustainable.bsky.social joshcowen.substack.com/p/is-your-sc...
joshcowen.substack.com
Is your school near a toxic hazard site?
Sitting down with Brown University's Dr. Matthew Kraft, whose team has just released a shocking new report showing that thousands of American schools are located near environmental hazard sites.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
IBES Voss Postdoc @lukelarter.bsky.social discussed new research that details the implications of noise on frog mate choice. Read the full story in @smithsonianmag.bsky.social:
smithsonianmag.com
Female Treefrogs Experience 'Choice Overload' Amid Too Many Mating Calls From Males
Faced with a chorus of potential mates, female Cope’s gray treefrogs may be overwhelmed by the number of options and struggle to make a careful decision, a study suggests
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
When renewable energy projects have environmental trade-offs, how do you decide which is ‘better’ for the environment? On this week's episode of Possibly, we dig into the science to help answer this question. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below.
oceanstatemedia.org
What makes something 'better' for the environment?
Environmental decisions aren't always straight forward. Like, is it worth cutting down a forest to build a solar farm? This week on Possibly we take a look.
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Meet the newest members of the IBES community, whose work spans climate science, economics, agriculture, sociology, public health, and global policy: ibes.brown.edu/news/2026-08-20/new-…
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
IBES Director @kimcobb.bsky.social offered commentary for @borenbears.bsky.social's latest @apnews.com article, noting that new research “raises the specter of a future where larger El Niño and La Niña events are dialing up the pace and severity of weather and climate extremes.”
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
@sarasneath.bsky.social reports on research by IBES Prof @timmonsroberts.bsky.social and Research Associate Trevor Culhane, leading researchers of @brown.edu's Climate and Development Lab, who found that activists and lobbyists used debunked claims to fight climate superfund bills. @cssn.org
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In a new episode of the YouthRUs podcast, IBES prof @timmonsroberts.bsky.social sits down with host Raj Awasthi to explore the politics behind climate change, how fossil fuel interests and misinformation can obstruct climate action, and why technological solutions alone may not be enough. @cssn.org
youtube.com
We Have the Technology. So Why Aren’t We Solving Climate Change? | w/ J Timmons Roberts | YouthRUs
YouTube video by YouthRUs Podcast
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
IBES Director @kimcobb.bsky.social offered commentary about a new study, which suggests that it is possible to demonstrate how single corporate emitters have contributed to specific instances of extreme weather. “This would have been a pipe dream 10 years ago; it simply wouldn’t be possible.”
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Lone star ticks are spreading all over the Northeast. What should you know to stay safe? Listen to this week's episode of Possibly, where we talk to @thetickguy.bsky.social to learn more about the rise in alpha-gal syndrome. www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...
oceanstatemedia.org
Tick season's here. What's alpha-gal syndrome?
Lone star ticks are spreading all over Rhode Island. What should you know to stay safe?
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
What does it take to turn a class assignment into a story? Last fall, Brown University students in IBES' Science Journalism course investigated environmental issues shaping communities across Providence and saw their work appear in ecoRI News. Learn more:
ibes.brown.edu
Brown students reported on Providence’s rivers. Every. Story. Got. Published.
What does it take to turn a class assignment into a story? Last fall, Brown students in IBES' Science Journalism course investigated environmental issues shaping communities across Providence and saw their work appear in ecoRI News.
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and driveways send stormwater into our sewers. This week on Possibly we explore engineering solutions that can help keep sewers and waterways clean. Listen to this week's episode, originally aired in 2024, wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below:
oceanstatemedia.org
Are sewers the best way to deal with stormwater?
Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and driveways send stormwater into our sewers. This week on Possibly we explore engineering solutions that can help keep sewers and waterways clean
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
New research from @danibarra.bsky.social's lab, published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology: "Non-analog ostracod assemblages in Lake Mojave reflect lake Quaternary climate and water-level changes." Explore the paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Meet IBES Voss Fellow Jules Ho ’27! A dual-degree student at @brown.edu & @risd1877.bsky.social, Ho blends data collection & visual art to study wild sloths' gut microbiomes. Watch as Ho conducts research with @slothconservation.bsky.social & read more about her work: ibes.brown.edu/news/2026-08...
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Brown University @brown.edu · 12/08/2026
A study by Brown University researchers found that 44% of pre-K-12 schools in the U.S. are within a mile of a known environmental hazard site, a distance at which negative exposure effects are well documented.
brown.edu
New research shows nearly half of U.S. pre-K-12 schools are near environmental hazard sites
A study by Brown University researchers found that 44% of pre-K-12 schools in the U.S. are within a mile of a known environmental hazard site, a distance at which negative exposure effects are well…
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Possibly’s host, Megan Hall and her family made the switch to an electric car. In this episode, originally aired in 2023, we explain what owning an EV is actually like. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below: www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...
oceanstatemedia.org
What’s it like to own an electric car?
Possibly’s host, Megan Hall and her family made the switch to an electric car. In this episode, originally aired in 2023, we explain what owning an EV is actually like
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Matthew A Kraft @matthewakraft.com · 11/08/2026
The #SustainableED team's first publication is out in @pnas.org. We document the scale of potential pollutant & carcinogen exposure across US K12 schools. 8% of all schools are within a few blocks of EPA registered hazard sites. Exposure risk is highly inequitable. 🧵
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
IBES affiliate Katelyn Moretti, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at @brownmedicine.bsky.social, offered insights on the health risks that hotter summers bring about. Read the full article in @ecorinews.bsky.social:
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
In his @ecorinews.bsky.social op-ed, @phileil.bsky.social cites IBES Director @kimcobb.bsky.social's recent commentary for @cnn.com, noting that expert insights like hers make for compelling and trustworthy journalism.
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Possibly @askpossibly.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
A librarian told Possibly that she has to bring a hat and gloves to work in the summer because it's so cold inside. Those frigid temperatures seemed inefficient, so she turned to us for answers. But this week we explain the surprising, and energy efficient, reason for frigid summer libraries.
oceanstatemedia.org
Why is it so cold in libraries?
One librarian told us she has to bring a hat and gloves to work in the summer. The Possibly team breaks down the science behind freezing cold libraries
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Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES) @brown-ibes.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Meet Laura Tanguay, IBES' new visiting assistant professor! Studying the intersection of extractivism, consent, and Indigenous governance in Canadian resource decision-making, Tanguay brings an engaged, collaborative approach to both her research and her teaching. Learn more:
ibes.brown.edu
Introducing Visiting Assistant Professor Laura Tanguay: Examining power, place, and politics in environmental decision-making
Tanguay begins her new role as Visiting Assistant Professor of Environment and Society on August 1.
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