A Chorus of Clear Voices
Writers Share Their Diverse Stories of Climate Change
Climate writing in all forms, including nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, contributes diverse voices to the public’s understanding of climate change. This literature includes science writing that translates complex scientific information into insightful, clear prose to serve a vital public purpose; it also offers stories, poems, or essays that help us make sense of our rapidly changing world—and find ways to cope. At its most effective, the literature of climate change inspires readers to seek deeper understanding and to take action in their own communities. Enticing, meaningful stories evoke the deep connections of individuals to their natural and urban surroundings. This essential communication drives the conversation forward with the clarity, urgency, and enlightened citizenry that climate change demands.
Olivia Campbell focuses on the intersections of medicine, women, history, environment, and the arts. She has a Master's in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University.
NEW YORK MAGAZINE
How To Talk About Climate Change So Anyone Will Listen
Find out how to engage even your most conservative friends in caring about our planet's future.
LIT HUB
When Climate Change Comes for the Fairy Tale Forest
What else is lost when an iconic landscape is destroyed?
E.A. (Ev) Crunden covers climate policy and environmental issues at ThinkProgress. Originally from Texas, Ev has reported from many parts of the country and previously covered world issues for Muftah Magazine, with an emphasis on South Asia and Eastern Europe.
THINK PROGRESS
Meet the Puerto Ricans who were pushing for renewables long before Hurricane Maria
Secluded in the island's interior, one organization has been working to sustainably power Puerto Rico for years.
THINK PROGRESS
Climate gentrification and Trump's immigration crackdown is hitting this Miami neighborhood hard
"If they allow the developers to build this as-is, Little Haiti as we know it will no longer exist."
Bill Gourgey is a former IT consultant to Fortune 500 companies. He holds board and advisory positions at various technology startups. He teaches science writing to rising high-school seniors for MIT’s Office of Engineering Outreach Program. Bill's novels include the speculative fiction Glide trilogy, which critics have called green sci fi. Bill is also the Managing Editor of Delmarva Review, a literary journal. He will be a 2019 graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Science Writing Program.
WIRED
How AI Can Help Prevent Natural Disasters
Learn how AI is reshaping the conservation landscape.
Marissa Cruz Lemar is a writer, communications consultant, and Navy Reserve public affairs officer. Her writing touches on all these aspects of her life and has appeared in The Washington Post and Task & Purpose. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University's MA in Writing program.
Of International Service
Situated along the Pacific's Ring of Fire, after the 2004 tsunami much of Indonesia lives on borrowed time before the next big wave strikes. Note: This piece has not been previously published.
Nancy Lord makes her home in Homer, Alaska, is passionate about place, history, and the natural environment. Among her published books are three collections of short stories and five works of literary nonfiction, including the memoir Fishcamp, the cautionary Beluga Days, and the front-lines story of climate change, Early Warming. In 2016 she edited the anthology Made of Salmon: Alaska Stories From The Salmon Project. Nancy is originally from New Hampshire and holds degrees from Hampshire College (B.A. in liberal arts) and Vermont College of Fine Arts (M.F.A. in fiction writing.) She teaches at the Kachemak Bay Campus of the University of Alaska, in the low-residency M.F.A. program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and in the on-line Johns Hopkins University graduate science writing program. She's also part of the core faculty at the annual Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference.
Early Warming
Early Warming: Crisis and Response From the Climate-changed North (Counterpoint Press, 2011) describes not just climate changes in Alaska and northwest Canada but how individuals and communities are coping and adapting to change.
Eric Niiler is a freelance journalist in the Washington, DC, area specializing in science, technology, public policy and medical topics. He's a contributor to Discovery’s Seeker, a contributing writer at Wired, and adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Science Writing Program. He's also a familiar voice on public radio and has contributed to National Public Radio, Marketplace and PRI’s The World.
WIRED
Finally! Climate Science Returns to Capitol Hill
After long absence, climate science returns to Capitol Hill.
EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE
In this patch of forest, climate change already happened
Long-term soil warming experiment in Massachusetts woods reveals future in a climate-altered world.
Kim A. O’Connell is an award-winning writer with more than 20 years of publishing experience. She has published articles and essays in a range of national and regional publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Yahoo! News, PsychologyToday.com, NationalGeographic.com, National Parks, and American History. Kim is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Science Writing Program.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE
Dredging Up the Future
Sediment from Baltimore's shipping channels is an important key to the ongoing transformation of its urban landscapes.
ARCHITECT MAGAZINE
After COP21: Where We Go from Here
Will the Paris climate agreement change how architects approach their work?
Sophie Smyth is a lawyer and legal educator who has devoted most of her life to practicing and teaching and International Financial Law. A native and citizen of Ireland, she lives in Washington D.C., where she serves as an Expert Legal Consultant on sustainable finance and corporate governance to various governmental and private entities. Sophie’s research focuses on international multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Green Climate Fund. She is a student in the Johns Hopkins MA in Writing Program and enjoys writing short fiction and personal essays.
BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW
How Capital Markets Can Help Developing Countries Manage Climate Risk
Climate change is exacerbating the frequency and severity of catastrophic weather events around the world. The economic impact of these events on developing countries can be severe, and roll back years of development gains. To help face this growing challenge, the governments of developing countries need improved access to insurance and alternative risk transfer mechanisms to manage their exposure to climate risk.
David Taylor's books include the award-winning Ginseng, the Divine Root (Algonquin), a plant’s odyssey, and Soul of a People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America (Wiley), which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ranked among the Best Books of 2009. He writes articles and blogs for the Washington Post, Smithsonian, Science, Microbe, National Geographic, and Washingtonian. He has written scripts for National Geographic, PBS, Discovery and Smithsonian Channels. His awards in documentary film include CINE Golden Eagle Awards, TIVA-DC Peer Awards, and a Writers Guild of America award nomination. David is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University’s Science Writing Program.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
Growing Green Roofs, City by City
Green roofs—rooftops that are partially or completely covered with vegetation growing in soil medium over a waterproof membrane—have gained momentum...as building owners recognize their advantages over conventional roofing in terms of better energy efficiency and reduced rain runoff.
Kristan Uhlenbrock resides between Denver, CO, and Washington, DC, and has spent the last ten years working at the intersection of science, policy, and communication. She has an MA in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University and an MS in Marine Science from the University of South Florida. In her free time, she enjoys writing, climbing, skiing, diving, and exploring nature.
UNDARK
Will Developing Nations Hack the Climate?
What if the poor and developing nations most vulnerable to climate change took matters into their own hands with geoengineering?
