Earth Day is on April 22. CU Boulder’s internationally recognized environmental, law, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and history experts are available for interviews about significant present and past environmental events, movements and research. They can also give context to the work still ahead of us to maintain healthy ecosystems and a stable planet. 

For help arranging interviews, email cunews@colorado.edu.

IPCC synthesis report and climate change 

Max Boykoff, chair of the Department of Environmental Studies and fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), can speak generally to the 2023 IPCC synthesis report and more specifically to the IPCC Working Group III report on climate change mitigation released in April 2022, as he is a contributing author on two chapters. He is also lead Project Investigator for the Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO) and can discuss monitoring media coverage of climate change and media representations of climate change. 

Matt Burgess, assistant professor of environmental studies, faculty affiliate of economics, and fellow and director of the Center for Social and Environmental Future in CIRES, can speak about the interconnected relationships between environmental policies, economics and politics. His recent publications analyze climate change scenarios, challenges in environmental management, and why it’s time to stop defining a nation’s success through economic growth. He can also discuss what the latest IPCC synthesis report means in the context of economics and politics in 2023 and beyond.

Lisa Dilling, professor of environmental studies and fellow in CIRES, can discuss accelerating the transition to carbon-free energy, climate change and public lands, policy analysis and tradeoffs, and climate adaptation strategies (in light of the latest IPCC report).

Water access solutions

Evan Thomas, professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience, can discuss global water insecurity, how carbon credits could be used to incentivize water conservation and be applied to drinking water treatment to address water quality challenges in both the American West and East Africa.

Watch: Valuing water to survive climate change | TedXCU 

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

Sanjai Bhagat, professor of finance at the Leeds School of Business, has written and presented extensively on ESG-related topics and impacts, from economic growth to investing to income inequality. He authored an op-ed in CNN.com, and an article in Harvard Business Review that analyzed data on ESG investing which suggests funds/companies that prioritize ESG goals don’t necessarily outperform non-ESG funds/companies in improving financial returns, or environmental and sustainable business practices.

Joshua Nunziato, assistant teaching professor in the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Division of the Leeds School of Business, teaches sustainability and ESG at the graduate and undergraduate level, with a special focus on the role that finance plays in driving decarbonization and other forms of sustainable transformation. His research focuses on enabling corporate sustainability through leadership development that catalyzes inner transformation to enable collective awakening.

History of Earth Day and the environmental movement 

Paul Sutter, professor of environmental history, can talk about the first Earth Day in 1970 and the history of the postwar American environmental movement and events that were critical to its development. He can also speak to the history of the wilderness preservation movement, the history of public lands conservation and the history of American agriculture and its environmental impacts. 

Colorado River policy 

Mark Squillace is professor of natural resources law with a particular interest on water issues, including the Colorado River Basin. He can discuss policy changes needed to save the river and the communities who rely on it, how the seven Colorado River Basin states are doing in their work to come up with a plan to reduce river usage and other topics related to the Colorado River or the Colorado River Compact.

Find more experts on the Colorado River crisis.

Climate change and comedy 

Beth Osnes is an associate professor of theater and the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Theatre & Dance. She co-leads CU Boulder’s Stand Up for Climate Comedy production that features climate comedy performances from professional comedians and students. She can discuss the power of humor in communicating issues on climate change.