Sustainable Development Goals 13 climate action icon.

Climate Action

Taking steps to combat climate change and its impacts.

2019 was the second warmest year on record. We need to act quickly to slow the effects of our changing climate. The frequency of natural disasters is already speeding up. The research at our university will help slow this process, but we need everyone on board to bring us back from the brink.

UB's Climate Action Plan Earth Day Annoucement [57:18]

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, UB announced its updated climate action plan (www.buffalo.edu/climate-action) with 10 strategies to get to climate neutrality in 10 years. This online panel featured opening remarks from Provost A. Scott Weber, and was joined by panelists Amir Rezaei, Cannon Design, Tonga Pham, associate VP for UB Facilities, Maya Miller, Education and Leadership Fellow in Sustainability, Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, paleoclimatologist, and Ryan McPherson, chief sustainability officer.

Western New York Youth Climate Council: Climate Change and Activism [1:10:40]

The UB School of Social work hosted the WNY Youth Climate Council on April 2, 2020.

The 2015-16 El Niño and Climate Change [1:04:14]

Michael McPhaden is a Senior Scientist at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington. His research focuses on large-scale tropical ocean dynamics, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the ocean’s role in climate. 6-14-18. RENEW

Carbon Reduction Challenge 2020 [58:34]

The Carbon Reduction Challenge (GLY479/579), co-taught each spring by Dr. Elizabeth K. Thomas, assistant professor in Geology and Ryan McPherson, UB Chief Sustainability Officer, is an interdisciplinary seminar-style science course that relies on subject matter experts from across the UB campus and beyond, encouraging lively discussion of both current events and past developments relevant to our energy and climate future. The main student activity is the semester-long "Carbon Reduction Challenge” project, which is carried out by teams of 2 to 3 students in collaboration with local businesses and organizations. The project involves designing, pitching, and implementing creative strategies to avoid carbon emissions and, where possible, identify benefits to all three legs of the triple bottom line: People-Planet-Profit. This video is of the spring 2020 final presentations.

The Madhouse Effect

Dr. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI). He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center (ESSC). RENEW. 

Social Work Research on Global Environmental Change: Past, Present, and Future Directions

In this episode, Lisa Reyes Mason, PhD takes the Social Work mantra of "person-in-environment" and describes her work related to Global Environmental Change. Applying a social and economic justice perspective, she discusses the impact that Social Work research, education and practice has on shaping our responses to challenges that will continue to challenge those of us living on Planet Earth.

Sustainable Courses