Latest Posts

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  Addressing Drinking Water Accessibility Across North Carolina

  By Zoe Tallmadge and Alyssa Coleman Zoe Tallmadge is a graduating senior at UNC with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Social and Economic Justice. Zoe has worked with the North Carolina Collaboratory for the past two … Continued

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  Evaluating the Benefits of Land Conservation on Water Quality in the Falls Lake Watershed

  By Noa Meiri and Adriana Kirk Noa Meiri graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. Over the course of her undergraduate career, Noa engaged in multiple field ecology studies at … Continued

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  Science Communication: The Power of an Informed Community

  By Taylor Holbrooks Taylor Holbrooks is graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2023, with a degree in Media and Journalism and a minor in Environmental Science, and a concentration in coastal mitigation systems. Prior … Continued

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  Pursuing Passions Through Carolina’s Environment and Science Communication Dual Degree Program

  By Sarah Padyk  A proud double Tar Heel in the making, Sarah Padyk is a master’s student at UNC-Chapel Hill in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, studying strategic communication. She graduated with distinction in May of 2022 with … Continued

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  Reflections on COP 27:  Global Integrity & Integrated ‘Just Transitions’ to Achieve Net-Zero

  By Christian Chung Christian Chung is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Biology and Public Policy. Christian is a Light on the Hill Scholar and an Environmental Policy Intern with the North Carolina Collaboratory. My COP 27 Experience … Continued

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  Nature, Adventure, and Research: A Semester at the Highlands Field Site

  By Hallie Turner Hallie Turner is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill and an Honors Environmental Sciences and Public Policy student. She spent the fall semester at the Institute for the Environment’s Highlands Field Site located on the Highlands Biological Station. … Continued

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  Epsilon Eta: Building a Community for Students with a Passion for Environmental Interests

  By Sanjana Venkatraman Sanjana Venkatraman is currently a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Environmental Science (B.S.) on the quantitative energy systems track, and concentrating in energy management. Her current minor is urban planning. She is also involved with Renewable Energy … Continued

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  Leveraging UNC’s Environmental Research for Impact Across North Carolina

  Steve Wall is a policy research associate at the UNC Institute for the Environment and serves as the outreach director for the NC Collaboratory. Steve is a double Tar Heel (B.A. in Political Science ’93 and J.D. from the UNC … Continued

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  Energy LEAP: The Program That Affirms, “The Future is Gen Z, and It Can Be Good”

  By Eloise Maclean Eloise MacLean is a sophomore honors student at UNC Chapel Hill from Pittsboro, NC, majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Hispanic Studies. Eloise spent the summer as an intern for the Institute for the Environment. … Continued

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  UNC’s Environmental Finance Center: A Valuable Resource for Local Governments Across North Carolina

  By Adithi Reddy Adithi Reddy is a junior honors student at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Global Studies and Business Journalism and minoring in Sustainability Studies. Adithi spent this summer working as a Research Assistant with UNC’s Environmental Finance Center … Continued

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  A Semester with UNC’s Sustainable Triangle Field Site

  By Ashlynne Hobcroft Ashlynne Hobcroft is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Environmental Sciences.  During the spring semester of 2022, I was given the opportunity to study and work closely with Sustainable Carolina through the Sustainable Triangle Field Site … Continued

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  A Closer Look at Flood Plain Buyouts and Environmental Justice Implications

  By Ameena Hester Ameena Hester is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Public Policy with minors in Environmental Justice and Data Science.  She is a National Institute Environmental Health Sciences Connect Scholar and an Environmental Policy Intern with the … Continued

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  Natural Spaces in Urban Places and Their Contribution to Coastal Resilience

  By Anne Smiley Anne Smiley is a doctoral student with the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in the Piehler lab. Her research focuses on ecosystem functions and coastal habitat.     Growing up on the coast Growing up in the … Continued

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  Understanding the Impact of the Pandemic on Carolina’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  By Melanie Elliott Melanie Elliott is a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Her academic focus was the physics of renewable energy systems, and her research involved a case study on the use of energy storage for the electrical grid in … Continued

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  Reflecting on COP 26 and the Power of Youth in the Climate Movement

  By Malvika Venkatesh Malvika Venkatesh is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics. She is currently a Sustainable Finance Intern at the UNC Center for Sustainable Enterprise. An Amazing Opportunity: Attending COP 26 in Person This … Continued

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  Carolina at the Coast: A Semester at the Morehead City Field Site

  By Stephanie Caddell Stephanie Caddell is a sophomore Environmental Studies major from Charlotte, NC. During the Fall 2021 semester, I had the pleasure of traveling to Morehead City, NC, and taking my classes at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences. … Continued

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  UNC’s Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee

  By Ben Brown and Ideliya Khismatova Ideliya Khismatova is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Environmental Science (Quantitative Energy Systems) and Statistics and Analytics. Ben Brown is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Environmental Studies (Sustainability … Continued

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  University Scientists Partner to Address Forever Chemicals in North Carolina: An Update on the PFAS Testing Network

  By Lucy Gray Lucy Gray is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Statistics and Analytics and minoring in Public Policy and Environmental Science/Studies. She spent the summer of 2021 as an intern at the North Carolina Office of State … Continued

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  CARDNL: Building a Drone Lab from the Ground Up

  Peggy Mullin is a 2019 graduate of the UNC Institute for the Environment. She is currently a research technician both for the Carolina Drone Lab (CARDNL) as well as the joint UNC-IE and NOAA Effects of Sea Level Rise “Keeping … Continued

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  Digging In: U.S. Coastal Dredging Policy

  By Chelsea Brown Chelsea Brown is a Marine Lab Technician with the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City.  Chelsea is an honors graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Environment, Ecology and Energy Program.   Beach building I have lived in … Continued

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  A Closer Look at Flooding and Financial Risk in Eastern North Carolina

  By Hope Thomson Hope Thomson is a recent MPH graduate from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is currently a Graduate Research Assistant with the NC Policy Collaboratory. Hurricane Impacts in Eastern North Carolina I threw the … Continued

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  Connecting Carolina Law Students with Environmental Issues Through the Environmental Law Project

  By Jasmine B. Washington, J.D. Jasmine Washington graduated from the UNC School of Law in May 2021. She will begin work as an associate attorney at Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill, NC this fall. Environmental Law Project I … Continued

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  Yes, water filters work—solutions for private well users affected by lead and PFAS

  By Riley Mulhern Riley Mulhern is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill. Before coming to UNC he worked as a technical water quality adviser for a Bolivian environmental justice nonprofit addressing issues … Continued

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  COVID-19 Regulations and Their Effect on the Environment

  By Olivia Clark Olivia Clark is a 2020 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Reporting Journalism and a first-year law student at the UNC School of Law.         Editor’s Note:  Olivia’s paper, “COVID-19 Regulations and … Continued

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  Making Carolina’s Campus More Bike Friendly

  By Addie McAllaster Addie McAllaster is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Environmental Studies (Sustainability Track) and English Comparative Literature (Film Concentration). One of the great advantages of living in a college town such as Chapel Hill is … Continued

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  UNC Study Dives Deeper into Falls Lake and Looks for Solutions to Improve Water Quality

  By Mandy Pitz Mandy Pitz is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Environmental Sciences, Quantitative Energy Systems Track. As an environmental policy intern working with the NC Policy Collaboratory during the 2020 fall semester, I spent several months learning … Continued

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  Modeling Flood Risks in North Carolina is Critical for Community Resilience Planning

  By Antonia Sebastian Antonia Sebastian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and the Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program (E3P) in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences.  In 2020, NCORR released a report outlining the climate … Continued

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  A Semester at UNC’s Outer Banks Field Site: Adventure, Learning and Fun!

  By Janis Arrojado Janis Arrojado is a Junior Environmental Sciences and Geography major at Carolina.  She spent the 2020 fall semester at the Outer Banks Field Site. When I tell people I was in the Outer Banks for a semester, … Continued

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  Evaluating North Carolina’s Options to Decarbonize N.C.’s Electricity Sector

  By Jonas Monast Jonas Monast is the C. Boyden Gray Distinguished Fellow, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center on Climate, Energy, Environment & Economics (CE3) at the UNC School of Law. Editor’s Note:  During the spring of 2020 the … Continued

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  A Closer Look at the UNC Cancer Research Advisory Panel Recommendations and Connections to Environmental Exposures

  By Lauryn Fairley Lauryn Fairley is a junior biology and anthropology double major at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is working as an environmental policy intern with the NC Policy Collaboratory during the 2020 Fall semester. The Complex Nature of Cancer In … Continued

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  Writing a Book About Strategic Environmental Communication

  By Jessica Reid Jessica Reid is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in environmental studies and pursuing minors in public policy and media and journalism. She has assured admission for the Environment and Science Communication program within the Environment, Ecology … Continued

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  The Importance of Addressing Underserved Communities in Water Management Policies

  By Carsten Pran and Amanda Padden Carsten Pran and Amanda Padden are rising juniors and Robertson Scholars studying environmental policy with an emphasis on water resource management. The Robertson Scholarship is a leadership development program that gives scholars dual-enrollment at … Continued

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  North Carolina Releases New Hurricane Preparedness Guide

  By Claire Bradley Claire Bradley is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies. She is working as an Environmental Policy Intern with the NC Policy Collaboratory during the 2020 Summer. In North Carolina, … Continued

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  Fostering an Appreciation for Agriculture at the Campus Level

  By CriShaun Hardy CriShaun Hardy is a senior Environmental Studies Major at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Visual Communications Intern at Edible Campus UNC. Over the course of the spring 2020 semester, I had the opportunity to take on the role … Continued

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  How Will We Feel the Effects of Global Warming?

  By Kalina Georgieva Kalina Georgieva is a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Biology. Editor’s Note:  As part of UNC Professor Elizabeth Sasser’s Public Policy class students were given an assignment to write an opinion piece highlighting a current environmental … Continued

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  Winning Idea! The story behind clinching the Strata Solar Clean Tech Award

   By Zach Walker and Olivia Corriere   Brainstorming and building out the idea For the past two years, we have served as co-chairs of the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee. As such, we often find ourselves in conversation about energy … Continued

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  University Researchers Working to Make Eastern North Carolina More Resilient to Storm Events

  By Elizabeth Kendrick Elizabeth Kendrick is a senior Environmental Studies and Public Policy double major.  She is working as an Environmental Policy Intern with the NC Policy Collaboratory during the 2020 spring semester. Understanding the Importance of Resilience During the … Continued

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  Improving the Water Quality of Private Drinking Water Wells in North Carolina through Multidisciplinary Work

  By Arbor Quist Arbor Quist is a Ph.D. candidate in the Epidemiology Department at UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health The Importance of Private Wells in North Carolina About 3.3 million North Carolina residents—almost a third of its … Continued

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  Stormwater ponds are everywhere, but how do they work?

  By Adam Gold Adam Gold is a Ph.D. candidate at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.   Tools of the Trade I get a lot of questions from concerned residents while conducting my research, but then again, my research can … Continued

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  Exploring the Potential of Dual Use Solar in Mitigating Financial Risk

  By Rosa Cuppari Rosa Cuppari is a Master’s student in the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and a Graduate Research Assistant at the UNC Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems. It would take between 7 and … Continued

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  Using Modeling Capabilities to Address Air Pollution at a Local and Global Scale

  By Calvin Arter Calvin Arter is a Ph.D. student in the UNC Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and part of the Institute for the Environment’s Center for Environmental Modeling for Policy Development.   Understanding the Sources of Air Pollution … Continued

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  Coming Full Circle: Accelerating the Circular Economy

  By Bailey McNeill Bailey McNeill is a senior Environmental Studies major and Public Policy minor at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she is also a member of Epsilon Eta Environmental Honors Fraternity. Coming Full Circle On the morning of Friday, September 13, … Continued

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  A Park for Every Child: Bringing Students and Teachers to the Outdoor Classroom

  By Shelby Brown Shelby Brown is a junior Environmental Studies major and an Education and Outreach Intern with the UNC Institute for the Environment. Connecting Teachers with State Parks This summer I had the opportunity to work for UNC Institute … Continued

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  Examining the Impact of Plastics on the Environment Through a Podcast Series

  By Brooke Bauman Brooke Bauman is a junior environmental sciences major and journalism minor at UNC-Chapel Hill. Brooke was recently recognized by the Udall Foundation for her leadership on environmental issues at Carolina.     Taking an Interest in Understanding More … Continued

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  Exploring the Possible Link Between Wildfires and Landslides in Western North Carolina

  By Julia Maron Julia Maron is a Research Technician with the UNC Institute for the Environment Is there a connection between wildfire occurrence and debris flows (landslides) within that previously burned area?  University researchers in partnership with state and federal … Continued

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  Increasing Student Diversity in the Geosciences at Carolina

  By Megan Hoert Hughes Megan Hoert Hughes is the STEM Diversity Program Manager and an Environmental Health Educator with the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Center for Public Engagement with Science. The UNC Institute for the Environment launches 2019-2020 IDEA … Continued

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  Helping Local Governments Respond to Drinking Water Incidents

  By Jill Moore Jill Moore is an Associate Professor of Public Law and Government at the UNC School of Government.   Local government agencies have critical roles in responding to drinking water incidents. Incidents affecting drinking water occur frequently in North … Continued

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  Making the Most of the Carolina Environmental Experience: Study Abroad Opportunities

  By Erin Danford Erin Danford is a senior Environmental Science major and Geography minor at UNC-Chapel Hill. Erin serves as the student representative on the UNC Institute for the Environment Board of Visitors. Unique Learning Experiences It’s a common cliché … Continued

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  Hope for coral reefs? Maybe, but only if we reduce our emissions

  By Justin Baumann Justin Bauman, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow in the Marine Sciences and Biology Departments at UNC-Chapel Hill and a member of the NC Scholars Strategy Network.         Coral Reef Research Coral reefs are some … Continued

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  Energy Transitions and Rural Economies: Mitigating Impacts and Capturing Benefits

  By Ethan Blumenthal Ethan Blumenthal is a post-doctoral scholar at the UNC School of Law’s Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics. Energy Transitions and Rural Economies What happens to a municipality when the local coal-fired power plant closes? Or … Continued

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  Carolina’s Commitment to Sustainability: The Three Zeros Environmental Initiative

  By Olivia James Olivia James is a Public Communications Specialist with UNC Campus Enterprises and supports the communications efforts of the Chancellor’s Three Zeros Environmental Initiative     UNC Sets Ambitious Sustainability Goals Launched in 2016, Chancellor Folt’s Three Zeros … Continued

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  Working to Strengthen the Oyster Industry on North Carolina’s Coast

  By Kasia Grzebyk Kasia Grzebyk is a Ph.D. student with the UNC Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and serves as a research assistant for the NC Policy Collaboratory. North Carolina goes by many names. From the Old North State and … Continued

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  Field-Tripping for Public Health: Water Sampling after Hurricane Florence

  By Connor LaMontagne Connor LaMontagne is a PhD student  in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. Hurricane Florence and Water Quality Impacts Imagine evacuating your home to escape … Continued

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  Researching Water Utility Fees with a Goal to Increase Conservation

  By Kate Fialko  Kate Fialko is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Information Science. Kate works with the Environmental Finance Center … Continued

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  UNC Researchers Conduct In-depth Monitoring of Water Quality Across the Jordan Lake Watershed

  By Joseph Delesantro Joseph Delesantro is a Ph.D. student in ecology at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Jordan Lake Reservoir was completed in the early 1980s to prevent flooding and allow for greater growth and economic opportunities in the region. Today the … Continued

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  Emerging Contaminants in Our Waterways: Quality vs. Equity

  By Chrissy Garwood Chrissy Garwood (left) graduated from UNC in 2018 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Garwood and Andrew George, (right) a community engagement research associate at the Institute and lecturer in the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program (E3P). Defining … Continued

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  UNC’s 2018 Climate Change and Resilience Symposium

  By Margaret Keener and Jessie Straub Margaret Keener is a graduate student in the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning. Jessie Straub is a graduate student in the UNC Department of Marine Sciences. We both had the opportunity to … Continued

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  Are Floodplain Buyouts a Smart Investment for Local Governments?

  By David Salvesen and Christian Kamrath David Salvesen, is a research associate with the UNC Institute for the Environment and the director of the Sustainable Triangle Field Site. Christian Kamrath is a graduate student in the UNC Department of City … Continued

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  Well Empowered: UNC Partners with Communities to Respond to Contamination of Private Wells

  By Martha Scott Tomlinson and Paige Bommarito Martha Scott Tomlinson (left) is a doctoral student at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health.  Paige Bommarito (right) is a doctoral student at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global … Continued

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  Responding to Community Needs: Hurricane Matthew Recovery Efforts in Eastern North Carolina

  By Jessica Southwell Jessica Southwell is the Project Manager for the Hurricane Matthew Disaster Recovery and Resilience Initiative. She coordinates the work of the Initiative in six communities in eastern North Carolina that were impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The Hurricane Matthew … Continued

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  Taking the Measure of Smart Cities in the Triangle

  By Britanny Baporis and Andrew Jacober Britanny Baporis is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill double majoring in Environmental Science and Geography. Andrew Jacober is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Computer Science. According … Continued

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  UNC Study Taking a Closer Look at Jordan Lake

  By Mike Piehler Mike Piehler is a professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences and the Technical Lead for the UNC Nutrient Management Study. The UNC Nutrient Management Study is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the condition of Jordan … Continued

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  Connecting University Research to Policy

  By Steve Wall Steve Wall is a policy research associate with the UNC Institute for the Environment and the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory. In the summer of 2016 the North Carolina General Assembly established and funded the North Carolina Policy … Continued

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  Financing Nutrient Management in the Jordan Lake Watershed

  Post by Erin Riggs  Erin Riggs is a Legal Advisor with the UNC Environmental Finance Center. In 2016, the NC legislature commissioned a six-year nutrient management study to be done through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), … Continued

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  Measuring Eastern North Carolina’s Lakes

  By Grant Parkins Grant Parkins is the Watershed Education Coordinator with the UNC Institute for the Environment. The UNC Environmental Resource Program (ERP) has teamed up with a UNC researcher on a NASA-funded project designed to better understand how the … Continued

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  Solar Financing in a Changing Renewable Energy Landscape

  By Heather Payne  Heather Payne is the Assistant Director for the Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics (CE3), and an Adjunct Professor of Law at UNC School of Law In late June as the legislative session was winding down … Continued

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  Environmental Restoration Helps Drive Economic Growth

  Post By Todd BenDor Todd BenDor is an Associate Professor in the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning and affiliate faculty member of the UNC Institute for the Environment.  Earlier this year I was invited to speak at an … Continued

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  Helping Teachers Explore the Electric Grid of the Future

  By Dana Haine Dana Haine is the K-12 Science Education Manager at the UNC Institute for the Environment. Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, writes that while electricity “is situated squarely … Continued

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  Evolving Electric Industry Represents New Career Opportunities

  Post by Jordan Kern Jordan Kern is a Research Assistant Professor at the UNC Institute for the Environment. You can learn more about his research and teaching portfolio at http://jdkern.web.unc.edu/. Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in the electric power industry might … Continued

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  Community Engagement: A Necessary Component of Policy Creation

  Post by Danielle Spurlock Danielle Spurlock is an Assistant Professor in the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning When creating local policy, community values and experiences can be marginalized if we limit public participation to unilateral flows of information … Continued

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  The Growing Interest of Students in the Clean Tech Industry

  Post by Greg Gangi Greg Gangi is the Associate Director for Education with the UNC Institute for the Environment. I’ve spent more than a decade as a faculty member here at UNC teaching environmental science classes. During that time period … Continued

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  Putting the Clean Air Act into Action

  Post by Zac Adelman Zac Adelman is a Research Associate at UNC’s Center for Environmental Modeling and Policy Development. The Clean Air Act is the cornerstone of U.S. policy to protect the public from the harmful effects of air pollution. … Continued

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  Engaging the Public through Citizen Science

  Post by Sarah Yelton Sarah Yelton is an Environmental Education Coordinator at the UNC Institute for the Environment. As the days start to get longer, and I can sense spring around the corner, I get excited about looking for those … Continued

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  Protecting Water Quality Across North Carolina

  Post by Jon Duncan Jon Duncan is a research assistant professor at the UNC Institute for the Environment. One of the special things about conducting research at a highly regarded public university like Carolina is the opportunity to engage in … Continued

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  The Science Behind Predicting Wildfires

  Post by Uma Shankar  Uma Shankar is a Research Associate with the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Center for Environmental Modeling and Policy Development The current severe drought conditions in western North Carolina are resulting in significant environmental and economic … Continued

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  Planning for an Unknowable Future: Uncertainty in Climate Change Adaptation Planning

  Post by Sierra Woodruff Sierra Woodruff is a Ph.D. candidate at the University North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology. As a graduate student, there is a lot of uncertainty in my life: When … Continued

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  Aviation Emissions and Air Quality

  Post by Sarav Arunachalam Sarav Arunachalam is a research associate professor at the UNC Institute for the Environment In July 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its initial steps to address greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft engines. The … Continued

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  Drought Proofing the Triangle: Increasing the Resiliency of Local Water Supplies

  Post by Greg Characklis Greg Characklis is a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and Director of IE’s Center for Watershed Science and Management. I had the opportunity to spend part of this summer … Continued