DC Climate, Politics, & Sustainability Weekly

Colleagues in Climate Action and Sustainability,

With apologies for the late hour, below please find this week’s lists of events, reports, peer-reviewed studies, news and commentary, and podcasts

Included are advance notices for two events next month at GW and for multi-day events this week at NASEM and world Bank.  A good cross-section of DC universities are represented (and highlighted in yellow) in the events list that follows: American, George Washington, Georgetown, and Howard.

Please also note the major reports released by Gallup, OECD, WMO, WRI, and WWF.

Perhaps like you, several commentaries and podcasts are asking what the war on Iran foretells about the future of petrostates.

Until next week.

Michael

P.S. If you would like to offer advance notice of an upcoming event at your institution, just include the necessary details and links in a reply to this email.

The Climate, Politics & Sustainability Weekly – Sun., July 00^th – Sat., July 00^th       

Advance Notice for Upcoming Event

      April 17–18 – Multi-Day – 2026 Planet Forward Summit: Take the Mic, Shape the Story – GW

   April 24 – Half Day – Climate and Health Research Day – GW ASF, REACH, Redstone GCP&W

Multi-Day Event Coming This Week

         March 30–31 – Multi-Day – 10^th Urbanization & Development Conference – World Bank

March 31– April 1 – Multi-Day – Econ. Future of US Research Enterprise: Workshop – NASEM

DC Events – In-Person and/or Online

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 08:00 AM – Three Seas Initiative: Europe’s New Geography of Power – Hudson Inst.

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 09:00 AM – All Day - Impact of AI on Ed & Wrkfrce Traj. in Tech: Workshop – NASEM

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 09:00 AM – New Eyes on North Korea: Emerging Perspectives – Stimson Center

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 10:15 AM – Winners & Loser: Russia, China & Europe Respond to Iran War – CEIP

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 11:00 AM – China’s Economic Slowdown: Risks, Realities, Implications – Hudson

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 11:00 AM – Biodiversity Implications of Land-Intensive CO2 Removal – AU IRCR StS

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 03:00 PM – Current Challenges in the Fight to Stop Mining in El Salvador – IPS  

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 03:00 PM – Control: Why Big Giving Fails, w/ ed. G. Galaich – IPS/Philanthropy Ntwk

– Mon., Mar. 30 @ 04:00 PM – The Future of Workforce training in the AI Era– American Enter. Inst.  

– Mon., Mar. 31 @ 09:00 AM –Taxonomy Implementation: Insights from Emerging Economies – WBG

– Tues., Mar. 31 @ 12:00 PM – Reg. Intermediaries for Workforce & Econ. Development – New Amer.

– Tues., Mar. 31 @ 12:00 PM – Islam, Authoritarianism & Underdevelopment w Dr. A. Kuru – GU

– Tues., Mar. 31 @ 01:00 PM – War in Iran: Reg. Shockwaves & the Search for an Exit – Quincy Inst.  

– Tues., Mar. 31 @ 02:00 PM – Global Fallout: The Iran War, from Hormuz to Indo-Pacific – Stimson Cntr

– Tues., Mar. 31 @ 07:00 PM – How Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even Wealthiest Black Americans – P&P

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 09:00 AM – Conversation w/ Pres. of Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – AEI

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 09:00 AM – Industrial Policy for Development – Peterson Institute for Intrnl Econ.

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 09:15 AM – Reg. Shockwaves: Long-Term Implications of US-Israel-Iran War – CEIP

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 11:00 AM – Evictions in District of Colombia: June 2025 – Feb. 2026 – New Amer.

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 12:00 PM – Black Globalization in Education Contexts, w Dr. K. Norris – Howard Univ.

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 12:00 PM – The Trump Doctrine: Conversation w Fellows Bali & Rana – Quincy Inst.

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 01:00 PM – Customizable Portions: Cost-Conscious Approach to Plate Waste – GU ECo

– Wed., Apr.  01 @ 06:00 PM – Unlikely Soc. Justice Warrior: My Life as Muslim Feminist w author – B&B

– Thrs., Apr.  02 @ 12:30 PM – How Innovation in Telecoms Can Disrupt Scam Outreach – Stimson Cntr

– Thrs., Apr.  02 @ 02:00 PM – What Is the New Paradigm of US- Venezuela Relations? – Quincy Inst.

– Thrs., Apr.  02 @ 06:00 PM – Tariffs: Are They That Bad? Panel w Trade, Pol., Econ Fellows – B&P K St.

– Frid., Apr.   03 @ 12:00 PM – World Aquatic Animal Day: Unseen, Unprotected, Underwater – GW Law

– Frid., Apr.   03 @ 04:00 PM – World Aquatic Animal Day: From Objects to Subjects – GW Law

– Satr.,  Apr.  04 @ 10:00 AM – Align & Ascend: Two Authors on Self-Leadership – B&P Hyattsville

             Note: If any part of the title for an event has been italicized, then it’s focused on an author interview or book discussion.

New Reports and Books

Reclaiming Gender Justice: Synthesis Report of Research Over Six Years by J. Erdstrom et al  (Countering Backlash (IPS), pages, free download)

World Happiness Report 2026: Happiness and Social Media by J. Helliwell et al (Gallup / UN SDSN 2026, 272 pages, free download)

State Utility Tariffs: A Tool to Manage Large Load Growth by M. Birchard & N. Burnard (Georgetown Climate Center 2026, 17 pages, free download)

Anti-Corruption and Integrity Outlook 2026: Harnessing the Integrity Advantage by N. Saula et al (OECD 2026, 158 pages, free download)

Who Controls the Global Petrochemical Industry and How Might That Change? by A. Alhassan (Peterson Institute for International Economics 2026, 32 pages, free download)

Military Action in Iran: Wide Partisan Gap in Expectations for How Long the Conflict Will Last by S. Shepard & A. Daniller (Pew Research Center 2026,  18 pages, free download)

Immigration Enforcement, ICE, and Civil Liberties in the Second Trump Administration: Key Insights from PRRI’s 2026 Immigration Survey by M. Deckman et al (Public Religions Research Institute 2026, 50 pages, free download)

State of the Global Climate 2025 by J. Kennedy et al (World Meteorological Organization 2026, 46 pages, free download)

The State of Ocean-Based Climate Action in 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions: A Preliminary Update by M. Khan et al (World Resources Institute 2026, 26 pages, free download)

Tackling the Insurance Protection Gap: Leveraging Climate Mitigation and Nature to Increase Resilience by R. Hess et al (World Wildlife Fund 2026, 80 pages, free download)

Peer-Reviewed Studies

Comm. E&E (March) – “Drought Is Associated w Human Migration in Ag-Dependent MI Countries”

Energy Policy (July) – “Natural Wealth and Enegy Vulnerability: A Persistent Paradox in Africa”

Env. Comm (Mar) – “Media Effects, Emotion & Race: Extending CC Risk Perception Model in US”

Fronters in SFS (March) – “Lessons from Indigenous Peoples & Local Community Farming Systems”

Lancet GH (Apr) – “Global Climate Justice & Future of Air-Quality Co-Benefits in LI & MI Countries”

Nature (03.26) – “Quantifying Climate Loss & Danage Consistent with a Social Cost of Carbon”

PNAS (03.24) – “When Does Higher Credit Lower Forest Area? Amazon Contexts Change Impacts”

Science (03.26) – “Sycophantic AI Decreases Prosocial Intentions and Promotes Dependence”  

TEL (AdvOn) – “Save the Climate, But Don’t Blame Us: Corp. Arguments in Climate Litigation”

WIREs Climate Change (MarApr) – “Best Practice in Climate Change Adaptation: Seven Elements”

Popular Commentary, News and Analysis

Atlantic (03.28) – “Mutually Assured Energy Destruction: Wrecking Oil Infrastructure Is Easy …”

Atmos (03.23) – “How to Build Cities Out of Plants and Earth: Using Bio-Based Replacements”

Conversation (03.27) – “War in ME Made Case for Renewables—Each Country Is Diff. Story”

Grist (03.27) – “To Keep Climate Science Alive, Researchers Are Speaking in Code” by Kate Yoder

Guardian (03.25) – “US Has Caused $10T Worth of Climate Damage Since 1990, Study Finds”  

New Republic (03.29) – “Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Might Vote for a Whale’s Extinction This Week”

NYT (03.26) – “Wealthy Investors Are Targeting Foes of Clean Energy, and They Want Revenge”

New Yorker (03.26) – “What Happens When a Whale Is Born? Scientists Witness Birth of Sperm Whale”

Vox (03.24) – “The World’s Deadliest Disease Infectious Disease Is on the Rise in US: Tuberculosis”

Washington Post (03.29) – “Gargantuan, Melon-Sized Hail May Be More Common Than We Realize”  

Podcasts & Radio Stories

Chicago CGA – Deep Dish (03.26) – “From Oil to Food: Iran War Disrupting Global Stability”  

Climate One – The Podcast (03.27) – “What the Rise of Electrostates Means for Petrostates”

Global Optimism – Outrage & Optimism (03.26) – “Is EW Shifting the Climate Front Lines?”

Heated – The Podcast (03.27) – “Why Smart People Believe Myths about Electric Cars”  

Heatmap – Shift Key (03.27) – “The Oil Industry Will Never Be the Same, w/ Karim Faraz”

ICN – Sunday Morning (03.29) – “Earth’s Energy Imbalance, w Bob Berwyn & Corey Mitchell”

Planet Critical – Podcast (03.26) – “Founding Mothers w/ Reverend Laura George”  

PRX – Living on Earth (03.27) – “FEMA Climate Resilience Grants Resume” / “The Story of CO2…”

RFF – Resources Radio (03.24) – “New Metrics for Measuring Energy Affordability w D. Nock”

Volts – Podcast – “Flexibility for Data Cntrs” (03.23) / “Blocking Sunlight to Cool Planet” (03.27)