Homepage

WORKING TOWARDS A JUST & LIVABLE FUTURE

 

 

At Oregon, we know that we are in the midst of unprecedented and transformative environmental change. All of us, and especially our students, are facing dramatic ecological shifts to all our natural systems because of climate change and other forces. This change highlights social justice dynamics and environmental inequities that shape our world. As a result, we see societal paradigm shifts in systems that govern our economy, the built environment, democracy, and fundamental relationships among people. This work requires the amplification of voices that have often gone unheard.

We face these challenges by generating new approaches, finding proactive problem-solving pathways, engaging in collaboration with multiple constituencies and social groups, participating in diverse ideas and forms of knowledge, and exerting the full measure of our creative energy.

About the Environment Initiative

 

 

EI Year in Review

Environment Initiative Annual Review

Read about the successes and solutions developed by experts, faculty members, fellows, and leaders within the initiative.

Read the Review

 

Events

The University of Oregon's Environment Initiative is excited to host a half-day webinar where attendees can hear from experts about potential opportunities for Oregon presented by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 
The University of Oregon's Center for Environmental Futures brings Dr. Leigh Johnson, assistant professor of geography, and PhD candidate Troy Brundidge, to present their talk in Columbia 249 and via Zoom.
The illioo Native Theatre presents a staged reading of Princess Pocahontas and the Blue Spots by Monique Mojica (Kunu Rappahannock) at the Hope Theatre in the University of Oregon Miller Theatre Complex; there will also be a post-performance discussion with the readers. 
pim
Environment Experts in the media

For those media outlets looking to get a quote or hear from one of UO's environment experts, reach out to our media team.

Contact Media Relations

News

The Nature Conservancy: Cites study by the University of Oregon and other partners.
Jordan Rodriguez, a graduate student in the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at  the University of Oregon, co-authored study that uncovers biases in biodiversity data.
Dezeen: Adrian Parr, dean of the College of Design at the University of Oregon, has an exhibition.
MIT News: Josh Roering, professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon, provides expert commentary. 
Energy Post: Researchers from the University of Oregon are part of study. 
The New Yorker: Cites book by Shaul Cohen, associate professor of geography at the University of Oregon.
PETA: Himali Gior, Parker Ruiz, and Logan Robertson are advertising students from the University of Oregon.
Inside Climate News: Sarah Cooley, assistant professor of geography at the University of Oregon, provides expert commentary. 
In celebration of May as Bike Month, the University of Oregon's Outdoor Program and LiveMove student group are joining community partners to provide a night of entertainment and information on bike access in the Eugene community. 
With support from the University of Oregon's Environment Initiative, professors Josh Skov and Paul Kempler are introducing a new course that focuses on the intersections of science, business, and climate solutions. 

 


Territorial Acknowledgement

The University of Oregon is located on Kalapuya ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the U.S. government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, Kalapuya descendants are primarily citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and they continue to make important contributions to their communities, to the UO, to Oregon, and to the world.
 
In following the Indigenous protocol of acknowledging the original people of the land we occupy, we also extend our respect to the nine federally recognized Indigenous nations of Oregon: the Burns Paiute Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and the Klamath Tribes. We express our respect to the many more tribes who have ancestral connections to this territory, as well as to all other displaced Indigenous peoples who call Oregon home.