Perspectives

Climate Hub Blog
Climate Science Feb, 2026

Cleaner Roads, Smarter Choices: The Environmental Cost of Car Buying

Every car purchase is also an environmental decision, but most buyers never think about it that way. In this piece, Emory University students Mark Buenvenida, Ian Riekhof, and Alex Barsemian break down what it actually means to buy a car in a warming world, from tailpipe emissions to battery mining to lifecycle costs. Whether you are considering electric, hybrid, or gas, this is your starting point for making a smarter, more informed choice. Read on, then explore their full project for a deeper dive.
Student Experience at COP Feb, 2026

What Actually Happens at COP? A Look Inside Climate Negotiations

What really happens inside global climate negotiations? As a delegate at COP30 in Brazil, Hannah experienced the world’s largest climate negotiations from inside the room. Drawing from her experience at COP30 she explains how COP works, why negotiations take years, and how decisions made there influence climate finance, adaptation, and justice for developing countries and frontline communities.
Climate Science Jan, 2026

Sustainable Concrete: A Surprising Carbon Sequestration Alternative

Recently, there’s been a lot of excitement within the climate solutions space about carbon sequestration, especially as it relates to regenerative agriculture practices. However, advances in carbon sequestration are not limited to the agricultural sector – the concrete industry is investing in exciting new methods to sequester carbon within the structure of concrete itself, with the goal of decreasing concrete’s climate footprint and reducing waste by incorporating recycled byproducts.
Student Experience at COP Jan, 2026

A Guide to the UNFCCC SB Meetings

Attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body (SB62) meetings in Bonn, Germany was a surreal experience. In June 2025, after months of studying the UNFCCC structure and negotiation blocs in Dr. Robinson’s ENVS 385: Climate Policy class, I suddenly found myself walking the same halls as negotiators, scientists, and advocates from nearly 200 countries. As a part of Emory’s delegation to SB62, I decided to create a guide for first-time attendees like myself.
Student Experience at COP Jan, 2026

COP30: Reflections from a delegate

During November 2025, Rodrigo Puentes Muñoz attended COP30 in the city of Belem, Brazil, as part of the Emory delegation. The world bore witness to one of the most consequential climate change summits, with high expectations placed on the host government’s role and ambitions. Over the course of one week, he learned as a student, presented as a researcher, and engaged as an observer; this blog reflects on that experience.
Climate Science Dec, 2025

Moving Stories: What I learned from talking about commutes and air quality

How do you get around every day? How might your commute be impacting - or impacted by - air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions? These are the kind of questions I asked while working on my Climate Change and Society course’s final project, the co-requisite course for the life-changing trip to COP29 I took through the Emory Climate Hub in November, 2024.
Student Experience at COP Dec, 2025

The Vega String Quartet: Reflections on music, instruments and climate change

How do you feel about climate change? If you're like most of us, you probably feel overwhelmed. It's a huge, complex problem. It feels too big to really understand and too far away to truly worry about in our everyday lives. We look at the graphs and read the headlines. We see numbers rising and warnings repeated. But numbers don’t always help us sit with the reality we actually experience. This is where music comes in.

Climate Science Oct, 2025

When the Air Feels Heavy: Victoria’s Story and Atlanta’s Call for Change

What happens when the air you breathe becomes your biggest burden? When the Air Feels Heavy follows Victoria, an Emory student whose daily walk to class mirrors Atlanta’s rising heat and worsening air quality. Her story reveals how climate change, pollution, and inequality intertwine—and asks a haunting question: Why does clean air still feel like a privilege?