Environmental Security
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Protecting our homeland: planet Earth , article“Our sense of homeland security transcends borders and boundaries, and we must recognize that the only true common ground we share is our planet,” Online MNR student Renee ODonnell writes in a blog post that warns against climate complacency and explores the new cross-disciplinary field of environmental security.
Date: Jun 22, 2021 -
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Board of Visitors approves proposed School of Environmental Security , article"It’s a natural evolution of the work of CLiGS, and it will cement Virginia Tech’s role at the critical intersection of environmental sustainability, security, and human well-being,” said Michael Mortimer, director of CLiGS, who will lead the new school.
Date: Jun 09, 2021 -
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Message received: the Biden administration is bringing sweeping revisions to the U.S. environmental policy , articleFrom rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement to issuing a number of climate-related executive orders, the Biden administration signals serious commitment to addressing the most pressing global challenge of our time—climate change. CLiGS faculty and Environmental Security Fellow Dr. Erwin Villiger offers nuanced insights into the federal initiatives.
Date: Jun 08, 2021 -
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Greening the telecommunications industry: XMNR alum and Cox Communications VP Jeff Merritt makes big strides , articleA telecommunications industry veteran and XMNR alum Jeff Merritt is on a mission to help one of the largest telecom providers in the country to not only become a more sustainable company but to ensure that it can adapt to and continue to thrive despite operational challenges caused by climate change.
Date: Jun 01, 2021 -
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A “Triple Hokie” Audra Upchurch helps federal agencies implement environmental policy , articleFrom the impact of wind energy farms on migrating bird populations; to border patrol stations’ effects on local wildlife; to the federal infrastructure climate-change resilience plans—Audra Upchurch’s job is to help guide the work of federal agencies in environmentally sustainable ways. Audra talked to us about how the MNR degree led her into a new and fulfilling career.
Date: May 04, 2021 -
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The migraine of migration: the tiny island-nation of Kiribati struggles for survival , articleTo Pacific Islanders, being called “climate refugees” equals “second-class” citizens. Yet, for many, their homeland is sinking into the ocean. The writer and recent Executive MNR alumna Karen (Songyi) Zhang talks about the impacts of climate change on this small island nation and strategies for finding practical solutions in the face of enormous challenges.
Date: Apr 13, 2021 -
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We the peoples… Why we need nations united, more than ever. , articleAs 2020 keeps reminding us, unity and alignment are key to solving pervasive problems, like the coronavirus pandemic. “One could argue that the best defense against a microscopic problem lies in a global solidarity solution,” writes Elizabeth Feliciano, the Director of Global Events for the United Nations Foundation and a student in our Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program, as part of her reflections on the 2020 United Nations General Assembly.
Date: Dec 08, 2020 -
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COVID-19, animal markets, and environmental security , articleCLiGS Environmental Security Fellow Dr. Marina Malamud puts the global coronavirus pandemic in the context of Environmental Security, an emerging field encompassing trends and events affecting the wellbeing of humans, and a new area of focus for Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Date: Nov 24, 2020 -
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Environmental Security is a Matter of Equity , articleSouth African director Neill Blomkamp’s science fiction social commentary film Elysium sees wealthy elites in the near future removing themselves from planetary resource scarcity... literally. By abandoning a wrecked Earth for a utopian existence in an orbital space habitat, these elites effectively shield themselves from the shortages of water, energy, healthcare, housing, and other human necessities on the Earth below.
Date: Sep 19, 2019 -
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Director's Desk Video SeriesWhether we are talking about objects, experiences, or personality traits, authenticity tends to rank highly for most people. What is it about authenticity that makes it so important to us and what does it mean in the context of our increasingly simulacrum lives? Heartened by the recent COVID vaccination progress in the U.S., Dr. Mortimer explores our reasons for traveling and the topic of cultural authenticity, using the example of his favorite city in the world—Barcelona, Spain.
Date: Mar 09, 2021
