Confronting the Climate Crisis

Yale School of the Environment economist Eli Fenichel helped develop a national strategy to integrate environmental and economic decision-making.

Satellites can track methane leaks and other greenhouse gas emissions back to the source. We asked Karen Jones ’89, senior technology strategist in the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation, what it will take to act on the insights offered by space technology.

Most Americans agree that the planet faces dire consequences if we don’t do more to address climate change. Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, outlines how businesses and individuals can push for action.

A nonprofit co-founded by Austin Whitman ’07 is helping consumers direct their spending to brands that are serious about solving climate change by certifying companies that measure their emissions, offset them in the short-term, and move toward decarbonization.

Land trusts are bringing innovative new tools to tackle the myriad problems created by climate change.

Kenneth Gillingham, professor of environmental and energy economics, says that easing range anxiety and helping drivers understand the advantages of electric can help accelerate the shift.

Dan Kim ’97, chief strategic officer and director of Next Renewable Fuels, argues that existing elements of the energy and transport sectors can evolve to contribute to a future decarbonized economy, alongside more disruptive innovations.

Yale SOM finance professor Stefano Giglio lays out the unique complications of grappling with climate risk, and explains his own work on stock portfolios that hedge climate change.

Casey Pickett ’11, director of the Yale Carbon Charge, explains how to put a dollar value on the myriad choices that make up our response to the climate crisis.

Ann Grodnik-Nagle ’06, climate policy advisor for Seattle Public Utilities, says that Seattle is focusing on both mitigation and adaptation, prioritizing vulnerable communities of color.

The healthcare industry produces 8.5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions as well as other forms of air pollution. Yale's Dr. Jodi Sherman says the first step to making healthcare sustainable is to understand the scope of the problem.

Investors are increasingly eager to contribute to solutions for climate change and other environmental problems. Charlotte Kaiser ’07 of The Nature Conservancy’s NatureVest explains how the company builds financial products that attract mainstream capital while delivering conservation impacts.

Elliot Mainzer ’98, CEO of CAISO, explains how California is working to avoid another summer of blackouts even as the state transitions to a carbon-neutral grid.