2019-2020 Academic Year

News and Highlights in August 2020

A new study co-authored by RCI Affiliate Alan Robock posits that geoengineering is just a partial solution to fight climate change, reports Newsroom. “Our research shows that no single technology to combat climate change will fully address the growing crisis, and we need to stop burning fossil fuels and aggressively harness wind and solar energy to power society ASAP,” said Robock. “This mitigation is needed whether society ever decides to deploy geoengineering or not.”


The New Jersey Climate Change Alliance posts a new report, Ecological Monitoring and Mitigation Policies and Practices at Offshore Wind Installations in the United States and Europe, prepared by Michael C. Allen and RCI Affiliate Matthew Campo. The report is intended to inform government officials, scientists, and stakeholders in New Jersey about the current policies and monitoring methods other jurisdictions use to monitor potential ecological impacts from offshore wind installations.


The loss of Greenland ice sheet reached a record last year, reports the New York Times. The country had a net ice loss of more than 530 billion metric tons, more than twice the annual average since 2003. Almost half of the loss occurred in July during an unusual heat wave. Scientists suggest controlling the rate of mass loss by taking steps to mitigate climate change.

greenland daily melt  line-plot chart


Congratulations to RCI Affiliate Professor Gail Ashley. The Geological Society of America has named Gail Ashley the 2020 recipient of the Rip Rapp Geoarchaeology Division Award and the Limnogeology Division Israel C. Russell Award. These awards are given annually for excellence in research, teaching, and service. In addition to Dr. Ashley’s numerous scientific achievements, the announcements recognized her commitment to integrity and ethical standards.


Rutgers Global announces recipients of the 2020 Global Environmental Change Seed Grants, cosponsored by Rutgers Global, the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, and the Rutgers Climate Institute. Congratulations to this year's recipients, including RCI Affiliates Cymie Payne, Karen O’Neill, Pamela McElwee, Rachael Shwom, Victoria Ramenzoni, Ying Fan Reinfelder, Åsa Rennermalm, and Mark Miller.


New Rutgers research posits that changes in the environment and biodiversity brought on by climate change could be responsible for increases in allergies, autoimmune diseases and autism, reports Rutgers Today. Climate change has prolonged and worsened allergy season, has been linked to increased concentrations and distribution of air pollutants, and decreased biodiversity. The study explores how climate change has altered antigen exposure and how the loss of biodiversity related to climate change could be related to affects to the human microbiome and in turn other autoimmune and neurologic diseases.

Sneezeweed blooming


Canada’s last ice shelf, the 4,000-year-old Milne Ice Shelf, collapsed due to warming temperatures, reports the New York Times. 43% of the shelf broke off and has started drifting away. Temperatures in the region have been 9 degrees warmer than the 1980 to 2010 average.