Maxwell School News and Commentary

"There are three primary effects [of climate change on flying]: a reduction in payload capacity for some flights because of rising temperatures, an increase in clear air turbulence on some flight routes, and changes in fuel consumption on some routes due to changes in upper level wind speeds," says Ethan Coffel, assistant professor of geography and the environment.

The fact that the costs of compliance are typically borne by workers and consumers is a fundamental flaw of carbon pricing programs, says Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment. It’s one that, he suggests, has led to the Biden administration’s relatively skeptical stance on cap-and-trade programs.

The professor of geography and the environment will spend part of the summer researching peatlands and helping develop a doctoral program in Chile. 

“When you can’t adapt to climate change at all and face interconnected issues surrounding loss and damage, the unbearable heaviness of climate coloniality is worsened,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment. “This means destruction, devastation and loss are so profound that one can’t finance one’s way out of it.”

“In coming decades, winter—as most people understand it—will get shorter and warmer, with less snow and more rain,” says Robert Wilson, associate professor of geography and the environment. “This poses a serious threat to winter recreation: snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing.”

“I don’t think they’ve proven to be effective in actually coming up with a kind of international agreement with binding limits on countries that would penalize them if they were not to abide by the pledges,” Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment, tells the Toronto Star.

The agreement between Syracuse University and the Northeast Clean Energy Council aims to raise the visibility and impact of emerging research on clean climate technologies; increase engagement in the region for governments and businesses looking to meet their net-zero carbon transitions through clean energy policies and innovations; and create career-building experiential opportunities for students.

“The environmental benefits are largely going to impact disadvantaged communities if you think typically about tailpipe pollution,” says David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs.

Peter Wilcoxen, Ajello Professor in Energy and Environmental Policy, is one of twenty members and one government observer who have been named as part of the establishment of the committee. The new committee will provide information and analysis to the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

Syracuse University is a leading partner in a multi-university project that aims to increase supply and demand for climate-smart commodities produced and manufactured in New York state, supported by a new grant from the USDA’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities. The $60 million project is led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Agriculture and Markets