Consilience Considers Archives - State of the Planet

State Climate Leadership? A Review of ‘Short Circuiting Policy’

Authored by visiting faculty member Leah Stokes, the book is among the first to focus solely on state-level climate policy.

by Eric Scheuch |December 2, 2020
monkeys in an urban area

COVID-19 and Biodiversity Loss: How Destruction of the Environment Leads to Pandemics

To protect ourselves from future pandemics, we must rethink humanity’s relationship with nature.

by Arooba Ahmed |November 24, 2020
two men installing solar panels

COVID Economic Recovery: What Might a Green Stimulus Look Like?

The current crisis has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle two monumental challenges at the same time.

by Eric Scheuch |September 25, 2020

Life After Coal: The Decline and Rise of West Virginia Coal Country

Areas formerly reliant on fossil fuel extraction can reinvent themselves and remain relevant in a decarbonizing economy. West Virginia shows that ignoring the need for that transition for too long results in unnecessary pain.

by Eric Scheuch |August 7, 2020
explosion at bikini atoll

Colonialism is at the Root of the Diabetes Epidemic in the Pacific Islands

People across the Pacific Islands are suffering from an alarming diabetes epidemic. To solve it, we must confront the legacies and remnants of colonialism.

by Chloe Schneewind |June 19, 2020
Members of the Maasai tribe dressed in traditional clothes posing for an advertisement

How Ecotourism Can Harm Indigenous Communities

The lack of a clear set rules for ecotourism means it’s often not as sustainable as it sounds.

by Arooba Ahmed |June 2, 2020
person meditating and looking at horizon

Why We Need Climate Stoicism to Overcome Climate Despair

The immediate and apocalyptic stakes of climate change can be overwhelming to the point of despair. Can we stay motivated by clinging to optimism, or are we better off accepting the value of a partial victory?

by Max Goodman |May 19, 2020
three mile island nuclear power plant

An Atomic Catch 22: Climate Change and the Decline of America’s Nuclear Fleet

Nuclear energy currently generates a majority of America’s carbon-free electricity. It is an energy source that we cannot afford to keep — and also cannot afford to lose.

by Eric Scheuch |May 5, 2020

Urban Farms: Growing Community Across the Five Boroughs

While urban agriculture is often praised for promoting sustainable growing techniques, one of its most important qualities is its encouragement of social connections and civic engagement.

by Lydia Wood-Hull |March 11, 2020

Gentrification vs. Sustainable Neighborhood Development in Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Two futures exist for this neighborhood: one of gentrification and luxury real estate, the other of environmental justice, job growth and opportunities for people whose families have called Sunset Park home for generations.

by Neely McKee |February 27, 2020