Norway has historically had abundant clean energy, which has been channeled into energy-intensive data centers, many of which are now posed to power AI. In a recent seminar, Visiting Researcher Mads Dahl Gjefsen examined the socio-environmental impacts of digital transformation in Norway.

Coverage of the Fossil-Fuel Industry ‘Doesn’t Have to Be This Way’ Michelle Amazeen says oil and gas money is fueling conflicts of interest.

@commscholar.bsky.social talks to @columjournreview.bsky.social about how major news outlets are influenced by oil companies in their climate coverage. Her latest book, Content Confusion, goes further into the intricacies of native advertising hidden in news media.

Driving meaningful dialogue 🌍 @sovacool.bsky.social & @patriciafabian.bsky.social spoke at the Boston International Affairs Summit last month on #Sustainability in #GlobalContexts.

Poisoned together in prison: Toxicant politics, disposability and carceral capitalism in testimonies of electronic & military waste recycling in a sunbelt Gulag Based on original field research, this article explores ‘recycling’ processes at a US Federal Corrections Institution (FCI) in the ‘sunbelt’ of the Un…

🖥️ Electronic waste recycling: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

☀️ Solar recycling: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Supported by the Sloan Foundation, IGS's @sovacool.bsky.social & @drxdunlap.bsky.social have released two studies identifying sustainability concerns and illuminating opportunities for improved transparency and justice in solar and electronic waste recycling. Links below ⬇️

By @sovacool.bsky.social @marydwillis.bsky.social @jjbuonocore.bsky.social & colleagues

NEW STUDY: Phasing out coal can improve health by reducing exposure to pollution and dangerous working conditions. But the coal industry has also provided stable employment associated with increased average life expectancy.

Results point to the need for replacement jobs for a just transition.

Can We Ever Have Enough AI? As the data center sector grows in the U.S. and globally, there is a lot to learn from Norway. This talk will focus on governance issues and challenges around data centers in the Nordic region, the history of data center policy support in Norway, and the evolution of the data center sector over the past two decades. Mads Dahl Gjefsen Visiting Researcher, IGS; Senior Researcher, Studio Apertura and NTNU Social Research

Can we ever have enough AI? Join us for lunch next Tuesday, April 14, and hear from IGS Visiting Researcher Mads Dahl Gjefsen, an expert on governance issues and challenges around data centers in the Nordic region. Learn more & RSVP: spr.ly/63325B6Q69W

This year's Earth Day 365 calendar is full of immersive, unique opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with our environment, right here on BU's campus! 📅 🌏 IGS is proud to support three Earth Month events.

Check out the full calendar: www.bu.edu/sustainabili...

A group of NSF NRT leaders smiling outdoors.

BU's ENERGIZE equips PhD students to tackle sustainable energy through convergent graduate education. The team recently networked with peers at the 2026 NRT Annual Meeting in Colorado.
Learn more about this unique program at the upcoming annual event - RSVPs now open! spr.ly/63329B6UTYU

African Studies Center Thursday April 16th & Friday April 17th, 2026 Boston University Hillel House, 213 Bay State Rd, MA 012215 Free and open to the public. Register here Location: All sessions will be held at Boston University, Hillel House, 213 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215. Please check the detailed conference program for specific room numbers.

RSVP now for BU African Studies Center’s Climate Change and Tomorrow’s Africa conference on April 16th and 17th! 🌍 This FREE conference will feature a panel chaired by IGS Postdoc Nellie Amosi on Climate Impacts on Human and Ecosystem Health in Africa.

Four researchers smiling.

🌳 At IGS's first Convergent Conversations event, panelists from multiple disciplines came together to discuss solutions to boost investment in nature-based solutions while advancing economic development. Event recap & recording now available: www.bu.edu/igs/2026/04/...

Previewing Native Ad Watch: Exposing Fossil-Fuel Influence Since the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28, 2026, energy access has been front-page news. As Europe and other regions scramble for oil and gas amid price spikes, fossil-fuel dependence has been made painfully visible, just as it was when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Prominent newsrooms now produce sneaky native ads that look like their regular reported content. To fight back against this form of climate misinformation, Michelle Amazeen (spr.ly/63325B6msAR) has launched a public tip line where readers can report any native ads they encounter. ⬇️

In 2025, #Zimbabwe accounted for nearly 10% of global #Lithium production, yet less than 10% of people living near mining operations rate the socio-economic development of their areas positively. A new @gdp-center.bsky.social report identifies steps to realize the sector’s developmental potential.

Event graphic for Exploring Community Impacts, Energy Transitions, and Conceptual Frontiers for Industrial Decarbonization and Net-Zero Societies

On April 6, join IGS Director Benjamin Sovacool (spr.ly/63320B6bI8y) on Zoom for a keynote address on the social dimensions of industrial decarbonization. In this talk, learn about the Just Transition framework and pathways for equitable and accelerated low-carbon transition.

How Can We Improve Public Health in America? La Danza Huitzilmeztli is a sacred celebration of women. For four days and nights, the Indigenous moon dance brings women together to honor each other and nature: some dance, others tend to the ceremonial fire, some care for children or the sick. Everyone has a role to play.

Focusing on the stories of three women in the United States, Monica L. Wang's new book, The Collective Cure, demonstrates how health is "shaped by neighborhood conditions, economic opportunities, and by larger systems," she says.

Read her full Q&A

Hochul Moves to Delay and Alter Climate Law, Citing Energy Prices

“This is not the time for New York to back down,” 65 scientists, including Benjamin Sovacool (sovacool.bsky.social) and Nathan Phillips, write in a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul as she strives to alter and delay the state’s 2019 climate law.

Full story in nytimes.com

Are you interested in maps or geospatial data? event graphic

@bostonu.bsky.social is hosting its first-ever Geospatial Data & Technologies Symposium on April 22 - and IGS is proud to be a co-sponsor! This free event is open to all BU students, faculty, and staff interested in how geospatial data and technology are used at BU. Register:
sites.bu.edu/gisday

ENERGIZE NRT Annual Symposium Get ready to be inspired and energized at the Annual ENERGIZE Symposium - a day full of innovative ideas and exciting discussions!

Register now for the April 9 ENERGIZE NRT Annual Symposium 🔋 ⚡ This event will bring together researchers, students, and industry partners for a full day of scientific exchange centered on this year’s theme: Data‑Driven Discovery in Sustainable Energy Materials.

New York Cooks Up a Plan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Public Housing - Inside Climate News The state plans to pay for induction stoves to be installed in 10,000 apartments across New York City. A Bronx walk-up provides an early look at what’s to come.

A plan to install 10,000 new induction stoves in New York City could bring cleaner indoor air to residents and ease stress on the electric grid. @jjbuonocore.bsky.social discusses with @insideclimatenews.org: insideclimatenews.org/news/1603202...

"News organizations can be bought by corporations. What's happening is that the journalism industry has been weakened now," @commscholar.bsky.social Michelle Amazeen says in a new podcast episode about the growing problem of native advertising. Listen below ⬇️

Seminar on Media and Public Trust Flier.

On March 30, @misibu.bsky.social's Media & Public Trust seminar welcomes @gwellenius.bsky.social. He will discuss the scientific knowledge gap between environmental health risks and effective #publichealth and how to communicate results to communities.

Register now: spr.ly/63324B6zgjC

Unilateral Solar Geoengineering: A Scenario Join us for a Pardee Research Seminar with Professor Patrick Keys (Earth and Environment, Boston University).

Join Patrick Keys for a Pardee Research Seminar on Unliteral Solar Geoengineering. His work explores how society will navigate climate and societal turbulence toward a sustainable and just future.

Register now for the 3/23 event, hosted by @bupardeeschool.bsky.social:

Apply by 3/27: The Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact (MISI) at @comatbu.bsky.social is seeking applications for its 2026-27 Trust and Storytelling Fellowship. For practitioners, scholars, activists, storytellers, and artists in climate change, violence intervention, migration.

Can AI Help Predict the Earth’s Climate a Decade from Now? For BU’s Elizabeth A. Barnes, integrating AI and Earth sciences is the next step toward solving some of the biggest, most complex challenges we face

@eabarnes.bsky.social & team use AI to reconcile massive datasets, accelerating insights into how air, water, land, ice, and life interact to better predict climate and extreme weather. She says "if you’re trained as an Earth scientist, you’re already trained to think about big data."

The story you're not hearing about AI data centers The race to build smarter AI is crashing into a physical limitation: the power grid simply can't keep up with the energy demands of data centers. Computer scientist Ayșe Coskun shows how we could turn...

In a TEDAI talk, @aysekivilcim.bsky.social describes an idea to transform AI facilities into virtual batteries that help stabilize the grid and accelerate clean energy. She says the technology causing this crisis — #AI — might be a tool to help fix it.

Pamela Templer Elected President of the Ecological Society of America ESA is the world's largest community of professional ecologists. Templer is an ecosystem ecologist studying plant-microbial interactions. She previously served as ESA’s vice president for education. Templer is a distinguished professor and chair of biology in the College of Arts & Sciences and IGS core faculty.

Pamela Templer (bucas.bsky.social distinguished professor & IGS core faculty) has been elected president of the Ecological Society of America for a 3-year term. ESA is the world's largest community of professional #ecologists.

Full announcement: esa.org/blog/2025/12...

Some Boston Harbor Shellfish Is Now Safe to Eat—Why Is That a Big Deal? BU marine scientist Robinson “Wally” Fulweiler explains how shellfish help keep our seas healthy

🦪 After a century, parts of Boston Harbor are safe for shellfish harvesting — a win for diners, businesses, and the environment. In a new article, Wally Fulweiler discusses the decades-long cleanup in the Harbor, the role filter feeders, and PEARL, her mobile research lab.

We're hiring! Communications Specialist

📣 CAREER OPPORTUNITY: IGS is hiring a Communications Specialist to join our team and help us reach key audiences within and beyond BU. 📝 🎥 💻

Apply now! ⬇️
jobs.silkroad.com/BU/External/...