The DC Climate, Politics & Sustainability Weekly

Colleagues in Climate Action and Sustainability,

Below please find this week’s lists of events, reports, peer-reviewed studies, news and commentary, and podcasts.

With the passage of World Bank Week, Earth Day and DC Climate Week—kudos again to the organizers!—the pace of events has eased somewhat.

The economic and energy impacts closing the Strait of Hormuz dominate the news and commentary, but a pair of climate stories broke through the fog of that war. At the Guardian, George Monbiot reports on new research suggesting that (partial) shutdown of the AMOC should be upgraded from a Low to a High Probability event. The next day, NYT reported on a possible remedy: Dam the Bering Strait. Both articles are listed below.

Enjoy this last week of April.

Best,

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 – Mon., April 27^th – Sun., May 3^th       

DC Events – In-Person and/or Online

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 09:00 AM – Engineering the Mekong: The Dams Reshaping Cambodia - Stimson

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 10:00 AM – Power, Religion, and Ideology in North Korea – Brookings Institution

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 11:00 AM – Lexington’s (KY) First Civic Assembly (Virtual) – New America

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 12:30 PM – Hidden Curriculum of Youth Violence & How to Rewrite It – WBG

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 02:00 PM – Raising Young Children in AI World: Gen AI Starts Early – Brookings

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 02:00 PM – October 7^th and the Future of Armed Conflict – Georgetown University

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 04:00 PM – What Can We Learn from “Mississippi Marathon”? – Amer. Ent. Inst.

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 04:00 PM – Future of Gulf: Commerce & Security after Op. Epic Fury - Hudson

– Mon., Apr. 27 @ 05:00 PM – A Celebration of Earth Day with Writopia Lab – Politics & Prose

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 10:00 AM – What to do about Cuba? The Future of US-Cuba Relations – CEIP 

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 10:00 AM – Implications of the War in Iran for Climate Security – Stimson Center

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 10:00 AM – The Latest Trends in Global Emissions – World Resources Institute

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 10:15 AM – On the Future of Transatlantic Security Relations – Atlantic Council

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 03:00 PM – What the Future Holds for the Press in Venezuela – Atlantic Council 

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 01:00 PM – The Revolutionary Center, with author Adrian Woolridge – AEI

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 01:00 PM – Rethinking Teaching for a Modern Workforce: New Natl Data – BPI

– Tues., Apr. 28 @ 05:00 PM – Women’s Marriage Paradox: Public Opinion on the Institution – AEI

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 08:00 AM – All Day – Measuring Development Conference 2026 – World Bank

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 09:00 AM – World War Trade: Conflict, Containment & Order, w R. Baldwin – PIIE

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 11:00 AM – Updating US Trade Policy w Congressman Panetta (D-CA) – Hudson

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 09:30 AM – Challenges of Conflict: Ind. Pol. for Development in MENAAP – WB

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 11:00 AM – No Place to Land: Housing Insecurity in Caregiving Students – New Am.

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 02:00 PM – Cuba: Prospects for Transition, w Center for a Free Cuba – Hudson

– Wed., Apr. 29 @ 04:00 PM – Israel on Trial: History, Evidence, Law w Roy K. Altman – AEI

– Thrs., Apr. 30 @ 09:00 AM – Frontline Climate Defenders: Call for Recognition & Protection – WRI

– Thrs., Apr. 30 @ 12:00 PM – Protecting Wetlands: The Role of Local Government – Env. Law. Inst.

– Thrs., Apr. 30 @ 12:00 PM – You’ve Changed: Promise & Price of Self-Transformation – New Amer.

– Thrs., Apr. 30 @ 03:00 PM – Korean Messiah: Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult – AEI

– Thrs., Apr. 30 @ 03:30 PM – Senators Moreno and Gallego on Colombia’a 2026 Elections – AC

– Frid., May 01 @ 10:00 AM – 10 Yrs Since Historic Deal w FARC: Colombia’s Fight for Peace – GW

– Frid., May 01 @ 11:30 AM – Proclaiming Liberty: Adams, Jefferson & the Declaration – Cato Inst.

– Frid.,  May 01 @ 06:00 PM – DC Statehood Day 2026 – DC Statehood / Busboys & Poets at 14^th

– Frid., May 01 @ 07:00 PM – Stealing America: Story of Indigenous Slavery in US History – P&P

– Frid., May 01 @ 07:00 PM – Korean Messiah: Christian Roots of NK’s Personality Cult – P&P Wharf

– Satr.,  May 02 @ 12:00 PM – Democracy Now!’s 30^th Anniv..: Steal This Story, Please! – IPS/AFI

– Satr., May 02 @ 06:00 PM – Disneyland and the Rise of Automation w R. Betancourt – P&P UM

– Sun., May 03 @ 05:00 PM – Shadows of the Republic: Rebirth of Fascism in America – P&P

        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

Advancing Climate Health for Vulnerable Groups in the United States: Looking Back and Looking Ahead by J. McCannon et al (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 2026, 36 pages, free download)

Stop Greed, Build Green: A Working Class Climate Agenda by Policy Team (Climate & Community Institute 2026, 21 pages, free download)

ConserveVirginia: Building Flood Resilience Through State Land Conservation by J. Saks (Georgetown Climate Center APP Series 2026, 23 pages, free download)  

Global Energy Review 2026 by Research Team (IEA 2026, 48 pages, free download)

Spillover Effects: The Fossil-Fuel Debt Trap in the Global South by A. Nasrallah et al (Oil Change International 2026,  168 pages, free download)

Peer-Reviewed Studies

Communications Sustainability (Apr) – “Forest Loss Persists Despite Certification & Protection”

Environmental Communication (Apr) – “Communicating Impact of Climate Change on Health”

JoCC&H (MarApr) – “Lessons from Multi-Country Proj. on CC & Health Policy Integration”

Nature Energy (AdvOn) – “Probabilistic Projections of Global Wind & Solar Power Growth …”

PLoS Climate (Apr) – “Env. Claims, Climate Promises & Greenwashing by Meat & Dairy COs”

Popular Commentary, News and Analysis

Crucial Years (04.22) – “Let’s Talk Climate: Loud, Clear, No More Hushing” by Bill McKibben

Gallup (04.16) – “The World Is More Satisfied with Efforts to Preserve the Environment” by B. Vigers

Globalist 04.20) – “Ten Inconvenient Truths about the Energy Implications of the Iran Crisis”

Grist (0422) – “Deadly Bacteria Is Creeping Is Creeping Up Atlantic Coast. How Worried Should You Be?”

Guardian (04.23) – “A Catastrophic Climate Event Is Upon Us. Here Is Why You’ve Heard So Little abt It”

Heatmap (04.22) – “How Republicans Are Trying to Gut the Endangered Species Act” by J. Lange

ICN (04.26) – “Sewage Is Threatening Coral Reefs Around the World, Even in Marine-Protected Areas”

New York Times (04.24) – “A New Idea to Save the Climate? Dam the Bering Strait” by R. Zhong

Politico (04.24) – “The World Is Searching for Oil. This Summit Is Looking to Get Rid of It” by S. Schonhardt

VA Climate Center (04.20) – “Winters in Virginia: Warmer, Colder, or Weirder?” by L.E. Ortiz

Podcasts & Radio Stories

Climate One – Podcast (04.24) – “The Stories We Don’t Always Hear about Climate Action”

Global Optimism – Outrage & Optimism (04.23) – “Beyond Oil Crisis: What’s Blocking Transition”

Heated – Podcast (04.23) – “Reps Introduce Extreme Bill to Ban Lawsuits Against Big Oil Forever”

Heatmap – Shift Key (04.23) – “Everything We Didn’t Know about Buzziest Geothermal Start Up”

Planet Critical – The Podcast (04.23) – “The Truly Sustainable Alternative, with Julie Steinberger”

PRX – Living on Earth (4.24) – “Boundary Waters Mining Threat”/”Wildfire Prevention in Africa”

RFF – Resources Radio (04.21) – “Conserving Land & Managing Wildfire Risks, w Jade Stevens”

Volts – The Podcast – “CE Journalist Robinson Meyer” (04.20) / “Last Year in Electricity” (04.22)