On May 21, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered its Advisory Opinion on the request submitted to the Tribunal by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. ITLOS is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This particular ruling relates to the …
Congratulations to our wonderful scientists and RCEI affiliates, Bob Kopp and Ken Miller, for conveying complex concepts about climate change so succinctly in this special report, “Shrinking Shoreline,” by PBS New Jersey Spotlight News. Reporter Melissa Rose Cooper interviews Ken at approximately minute 11:28 and Bob at minute 12:49. It’s a compelling report and, thanks to Bob and Ken and …
Professor Jorge Marcone introduces his students to the little-known figures on the front lines of global environmental conflict: Rainforest dwellers in Peru fighting to protect their land from industry. Indigenous and white families in Canada standing up to Big Oil. Women across five countries taking the lead to protect the environment. At first glance, his course at Rutgers University-New Brunswick—”Our …
WHYY PBS podcast addresses alarming sea level rise projections that threaten to submerge significant portions of New Jersey’s coastline in the years ahead. RCEI Affiliate Robert Kopp answers the question of how the region will confront the challenges posed by the rising seas. Listen to the full podcast here.
A climate scientist, a playwright and an artist have been named Guggenheim fellows for their work in fields of creative arts and environmental sciences. The three professors from Rutgers University-New Brunswick were among 188 fellows selected this year from a pool of 3,000 across 52 disciplines, according to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, which made the announcement. They went through “a …
Despite recent severe weather in the Midwest, tornadoes in New Jersey are a rare occurrence. RCEI Affiliate, David Robinson, highlights that New Jersey averages about two tornadoes annually, with most being weak and causing minimal damage. “The fact is that most tornadoes in New Jersey are small, they’re not on the ground for all that long,” Robinson said. “But they …
A recent viral instagram post shows a timelapse of satellite images of urban development near the coast in Tulum, Mexico, from 1984 to 2022. While the position of the coastline appears to waver a bit, it does not obviously move inland. The caption preceded to imply that climate change is a hoax. Experts replied to this post explaining that a …
A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences warns that the 2023 snow deluge that ended California’s megadrought was a rare event, unlikely to occur frequently due to climate change. The study authors coined the term “snow deluge” for one-in-20-year heavy snowfalls, when it’s cold and wet enough to maintain a deep snowpack through April 1. The study …
The article reports on a small earthquake that occurred in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, and its aftershocks. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 2.4, struck in the early hours of the morning, causing minimal damage and no injuries. This earthquake was one of the aftershocks from the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on April 5. Scientists said the initial …
University to test renewable energy system on a working farm with animals and crops Rutgers University has selected Sunzaun, a vertical solar system for farms developed by solar installer Sunstall Inc., for an agrivoltaics project at its farm on Cook campus. The farm at Rutgers University–New Brunswick operates as a hybrid of production farm, research facility and teaching operation in …
