climate change
Tennessee flash floods are an example of climate change impacts to come
Sep. 15, 2021—The historic rain and flash flooding that swept central Tennessee on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, devastated the small city of Waverly, about 60 miles west of Nashville. A flash flood watch issued Friday quickly became a “flash flood emergency” Saturday. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Humphreys County officials said 20 people died and all those missing had been accounted...
Vanderbilt, TDOT partner to test automated vehicles and improve traffic flow on I-24, soon the smartest roadway in the world
Sep. 7, 2021—Dan Work, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, leads the technical element in collaboration with Vanderbilt, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and transportation consulting firm Gresham Smith to build the smartest roadway in the world along a six-mile stretch of I-24. The project, called I-24 MOTION, will use over 300 ultra-HD (4K) cameras to anonymously...
Royal Society award gives international exposure to work in polar sciences, computational mechanics
Aug. 25, 2021—The School of Engineering’s work in polar and climate science, plus computational mechanics, will get international exposure with a two-year travel grant from the Royal Society, the independent academic society of the U.K., for a collaboration between a Vanderbilt professor and a professor in England. The project will establish new approaches for simulating fracture propagation...
Hornberger retires; new working group begins planning for future of climate, environment and energy education, research and advocacy at Vanderbilt
Jul. 21, 2021—George Hornberger, Craig E. Philip Professor of Engineering and university distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth and environmental sciences, retired June 30 after decades of dedicated service and as director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and the Environment. Hornberger was already an established leader in the fields of water resources and sustainability...
Vanderbilt wins Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for energy and renewable resources progress
Jul. 9, 2021—by Katherine Keith Jul. 9, 2021, 10:00 AM Vanderbilt University’s Green Invest Program partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority and Nashville Electric Service has been recognized with a 2021 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced July 8. The annual honors are considered the most prestigious environmental and conservation awards in Tennessee and...
Green Steel Deal: Climate mitigation and international trade come together in decarbonization policy proposal
Jun. 16, 2021—In a paper published by the Roosevelt Institute, Vanderbilt faculty proposed that as the 2021 G7 summit gets underway, the Biden Administration has a chance for a new beginning in fighting climate change. Vanderbilt Law School Director of International Legal Studies Timothy Meyer and Roosevelt Institute Director of Governance Studies Todd Tucker recommended a two-pronged climate change/international trade policy they call...
Vanderbilt announces new collaboration to accelerate efforts to address its carbon footprint and tackle climate change
May. 24, 2021—by Ann Marie Deer Owens May. 24, 2021, 1:25 PM Vanderbilt University today announced a new collaboration with the nonprofit organization Climate Vault that allows the university to address the full extent of its carbon footprint now, achieving carbon neutrality decades ahead of its initial goal. The new initiative will effectively remove carbon pollution permits from regulated carbon markets...
Accelerating our progress toward a sustainable future
May. 24, 2021—May. 24, 2021, 1:25 PM Dear members of the Vanderbilt community, Climate change is one of the most serious threats faced by humanity today. As an institution whose mission is focused on improving society for future generations through research, education and innovation, it is imperative that we turn to the sustainability of our own university operations as...
Renowned climate scientist Carlos A. Nobre to deliver Earth Day lecture April 21
Apr. 13, 2021—Climate scientist Carlos A. Nobre, who is renowned for his work on the impact of Amazon deforestation, will deliver the 2021 Earth Day Lecture on Wednesday, April 21, at 1 p.m. CT. Nobre’s talk, “The Amazon Near a Tipping Point: The urgent need of a novel standing forest bioeconomy,” is part of a joint venture by...
National Academy of Medicine addresses urgent threats of COVID-19 and climate change at annual meeting
Oct. 30, 2020—The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are twin calamities that cannot be resolved without global cooperation, consistent communication and leadership and urgent innovation by the scientific community. That was the message of last week’s virtual annual meeting of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) titled “Confronting Urgent Threats to Human Health and Society: COVID-19 and Climate Change.”...