Feature-Faculty

Jennifer Balch and Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL) are launching the Fast Fire Network

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:34:44 +0000

Jennifer Balch and Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL) are launching the Fast Fire Network Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 07/09/2026 - 11:34

Dr. Jennifer Balch, Director of the Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL), CIRES Fellow, and Professor of Geography at the 91��Ҹ� 91��Ҹ�, is leading an NSF-funded FIRE-NET project to create the Fast Fire Network to develop urgently needed solutions for fast-moving fire events across the US West. An emphasis will be placed on using innovative AI tools to leverage the big data revolution to explore the topics of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability as they relate to fast fires.

The goal of this network is to bring together fire scientists, social scientists, data scientists, practitioners, and industry partners to develop urgently needed solutions for fast fire events.

If you are interested in contributing to the Fast Fire Network, please complete this form. For more information visit the Balch Fire Lab and ESIIL websites.

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John O'Loughlin: We asked Ukrainians what they think of Trump – more view him as an enemy than a friend

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:47:02 +0000

John O'Loughlin: We asked Ukrainians what they think of Trump – more view him as an enemy than a friend Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 07/09/2026 - 07:47

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded the “very good relationship” he has developed with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the NATO summit in Turkey on July 8, 2026...

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Ellen Considine: Indonesia’s air quality got worse after China banned plastic waste imports

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:42:03 +0000

Ellen Considine: Indonesia’s air quality got worse after China banned plastic waste imports Gabriela Rocha Sales Tue, 06/02/2026 - 13:42

Brigitta Rongstad Strong

Copied from the original for archival purposes.

Written by Brigitta Rongstad Strong

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Indonesia’s air quality got worse after China banned plastic waste imports

New research links a global waste policy shift to increased air pollution from open burning at Indonesian dump sites

When China banned plastic waste imports in 2018, countries like the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan didn’t stop exporting plastic waste — they diverted their shipments to countries in Southeast Asia.

New research led by CIRES Fellow Ellen Considine shows that air pollution in Indonesia worsened in 2018 and 2019, when the country began receiving some of the plastic waste that previously went to China. Municipal waste collection is limited in Indonesia and open burning of solid waste is common.

The work, published today in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society - Series C: Applied Statistics, highlights a recurring environmental justice issue: wealthy nations exporting pollution and the consequences in lower-income countries with less capacity to refuse or manage it.

“When high-income countries ship plastic waste to low- and middle-income countries, more plastic waste tends to be burned,” said Considine, who is also an assistant professor of Geography at CU 91��Ҹ�. “This releases air pollutants that can cause respiratory disease, cancer, or even death to local residents.”

Considine and her co-author, Rachel Nethery from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, leveraged satellite data to evaluate changes in fine particulate matter at 356 open dump sites in Indonesia before and after China’s ban on plastic waste imports. Fine particulate matter is the air pollutant of greatest concern for human health because it consists of particles small enough to penetrate human lungs and enter the bloodstream.

“Previous studies of the impact of plastic waste burning on air quality have been more localized, for instance by deploying an air quality monitor in a couple of locations for a few months,” Considine said. “Our approach is powerful because it allows us to look at air pollution changes over a large study region and time period and identify a connection to plastic waste imports.”

The team used advanced statistical methods to determine how much of the increase in air pollution was due to China’s policy change and waste burning versus other factors that vary over time, like weather.

The results suggest the policy change and waste burning caused an average 3.3 percent increase in fine particulate matter at open waste dump sites in Indonesia in 2018 and 2019 compared to 2012 to 2017. The potential health impacts are significant; the increase in fine particulate matter corresponds with an approximate 1.9 percent increase in mortality risk from lung cancer and a 3.5 percent increase in mortality risk from lower respiratory infections.

“Methods like this, for evaluating the impact of policies, have historically been developed by economists but have more recently been adapted by public health and environmental scientists,” Considine said.

The analysis reveals a potential chain reaction after China’s ban: some of the plastic waste that used to end up in China was diverted to Indonesia, leading to more open dumping and burning of plastic waste, which generated more fine particulate matter air pollution.

Considine and Nethery’s work supports recent decisions by Indonesia and Malaysia, another country impacted by China’s policy change, to ban plastic waste imports. The team’s approach can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of these and future policies related to plastic waste and open burning.

“I am inspired by stories of air pollution research being used to inform policy decisions, ” Considine said. “Efforts like ours help fill critical evidence gaps in places and for applications with more limited data.”

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Assitant Professor Isaac Rivera Receives 91��Ҹ� & Innovation Office (RIO) Arts & Humanities Grant

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:38:25 +0000

Assitant Professor Isaac Rivera Receives 91��Ҹ� & Innovation Office (RIO) Arts & Humanities Grant Gabriela Rocha Sales Thu, 05/14/2026 - 14:38

Congratulations our Geography Assistant Professor, Isaac Rivera, for receiving one of the 91��Ҹ� & Innovation Office's (RIO) Arts & Humanities Grants!

Dr. Rivera's project is titled, "Grounded Relations & Repair: A Native Assembled Cartography of Colorado".

The RIO Arts & Humanities Grant Program reflects the vital role the arts and humanities play across the university—fostering connection, inviting a range of perspectives and encouraging deeper exploration of the human experience.

Find out more about the award and other recipients here.

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Waleed Abdalati Selected as Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholar

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:23:23 +0000

Waleed Abdalati Selected as Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholar Gabriela Rocha Sales Wed, 04/29/2026 - 15:23

In celebration of CU 91��Ҹ�’s 150th anniversary, the Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholars recognition program spotlights some of the university’s most inspiring voices—faculty members whose research and creative work transform lives and serve the public good. This prestigious program elevates faculty whose scholarship benefits communities, informs policy, advances innovation, and addresses society’s most pressing challenges.

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Two Geography professors were selected for the 91��Ҹ� 91��Ҹ�’s Sustainability 91��Ҹ� Initiative Fellowship

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:34:35 +0000

Two Geography professors were selected for the 91��Ҹ� 91��Ҹ�’s Sustainability 91��Ҹ� Initiative Fellowship Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 04/27/2026 - 15:34

Katherine Siegel, and Keith Musselman along with 18 other researchers will participate in a year-long incubator designed to bring CU 91��Ҹ� researchers together to collaborate and conduct research that addresses complex, multidimensional, boundary-spanning sustainability issues.

The SRI 91��Ҹ� Fellowship is built on a simple premise: when talented people are given the space, time and community to dream big together, transformative ideas emerge. Sustainability challenges are complex and multidimensional, and addressing them requires intellectual approaches that cross boundaries, challenge assumptions and leverage diverse perspectives.

This fellowship is designed to cultivate exactly that environment. This first cohort of fellows includes 20 researchers from departments and research institutes across campus. Through a series of intensive trainings and retreats, the fellows will spend the year building community, practicing future-oriented thinking, and forming transdisciplinary teams capable of shaping the next generation of sustainability scholarship and solutions.

“This new fellowship is emblematic of CU 91��Ҹ�’s strong campuswide commitment to sustainability, and it demonstrates how SRI is elevating and connecting CU’s sustainability researchers in creative and unexpected ways for greater impact,” said CU 91��Ҹ� Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock.

SRI conducted a series of focus groups in the fall of 2025 and a resounding theme emerged: researchers are eager to collaborate across disciplines, but institutional structures make that collaboration challenging.

“Comments like ‘Where can we think together?’ and ‘Can we buy faculty time for creative thinking?’ underscored the urgency,” said SRI Director Jane Zelikova. “The SRI research fellowship directly responds to these needs by carving out time and space for intentional community building across intellectual and departmental silos and for creative, non-proposal driven conversations. We aim to foster a space where serendipity can seed new ideas and collaborations and where researchers feel supported to explore bold, unconventional approaches.”

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Mark Serreze: Arctic Amplification and Changing Precipitation

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:31:39 +0000

Mark Serreze: Arctic Amplification and Changing Precipitation Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 04/27/2026 - 15:31

Geography Distinguished Professor Mark Serreze and colleagues published a study in the journal “The Cryosphere” on Arctic Amplification (AA) - the much stronger observed warming of the Arctic compared to the globe as a whole. Serreze concludes that one of the most important processes driving Arctic Amplification is summertime loss of the Arctic’s sea ice cover. More melt of the sea ice cover in summer exposes ever larger dark open water areas which pick up the sun’s energy. As summer fades into winter and the sun sets in the Arctic, the extra heat gained by the ocean is released upward to the atmosphere. This is why Arctic Amplification is most strongly expressed in autumn, and along the Russian coast that has seen the largest summer ice losses. These areas have warmed by more than 2K per year, or 8-10 degrees Kelvin over the period 1980-2024 (Figure xx). An important contributor to Arctic Amplification is that the Arctic atmosphere is characterized by a strong temperature inversion, which inhibits mixing, focusing the heating near the surfaces. However, Arctic Amplification is also changing the Arctic atmosphere to make it less stable. 91��Ҹ� on Arctic Amplification ties in with research led by former graduate student Zaria Cast in another paper published in “The Cryosphere” on how warming is starting to change the Arctic from a snowfall to a rainfall dominated region. As Arctic temperatures continue to rise, precipitation increases, and more and more of that precipitation falls as snow will fall as rain. It is well known that rain on snow events in the Arctic, which are increasing in frequency, have severe consequences for traditional reindeer herding when hard icy crusts form that inhibit grazing. There are well recorded cases where tens of thousands of reindeer have died following a rain on sow event.

Figure: The change in Arctic temperatures in degrees (Kelvin) per year during autumn over the period 1980 through 2024.

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Geography Professor Isaac Rivera Launches The Rita Martinez Spatial Justice Lab

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:28:38 +0000

Geography Professor Isaac Rivera Launches The Rita Martinez Spatial Justice Lab Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 04/27/2026 - 15:28

Dr. Isaac Rivera launched the Rita Martinez Spatial Justice Lab on April 10, 2026. The lab aspires to foreground creative and accountable digital geographies, such as cartography and geomedia to animate the everyday ways in which Colorado communities and beyond seek to affirm life in the broadest sense. Our motto, For Life Affirming Geographies, is not a metaphor, but a call to action to direct geographical knowledge to honor the self-determination of Native nations everywhere; to serve as a vessel that co-creates the conditions of possibility for the repair of the Earth and our communities; and for assembling the geoimaginaries necessary in which to envision a future where all life may thrive. For Life!

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Jessica Finlay: GOALie Geographer

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:22:44 +0000

Jessica Finlay: GOALie Geographer Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 04/27/2026 - 15:22

Assistant Professor Jessica Finlay co-founded GOAL (Geographies of Aging and the Life Course), an interdisciplinary working group that has grown to include more than 150 researchers worldwide. GOAL brings together scholars engaged in spatial and place-based studies of aging and the life course across a wide range of disciplines, including geography, gerontology, epidemiology, sociology, transportation, and urban planning. The group’s mission is to foster connection, collaboration, and innovation in research on the dynamic relationships among space, place, environment, and health across the life course.

Dr. Jessica Finlay and GOAL co-founders Dr. Amber DeJohn and Dr. Michael Desjardins.

Dr. Jessica Finlay led a qualitative methods workshop during a GOAL 2026 scientific workshop in Tallahassee, Florida, helping participants build interview skills with volunteers from local senior centers.

GOAL members gathered for an ice cream social after the GOAL symposium sessions at the 2026 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, where they shared updates on their latest research and explored new opportunities for collaboration.

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Federico Andrade Rivas: Do you live in a playable neighbourhood? A new national level metric aims to answer this question

Gabriela Rocha Sales — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:56:54 +0000

Federico Andrade Rivas: Do you live in a playable neighbourhood? A new national level metric aims to answer this question Gabriela Rocha Sales Mon, 04/27/2026 - 14:56

Figure from the published article (Gemmell et al. 2026; Cities). Distribution of playability and domain score deciles for postal codes within the Toronto metropolitan area. Playability score with alternate measure of social environment.

Beyond the established benefits of physical activity on human health, there is increasing evidence showing the importance of outdoor free play for young children’s current and long-term physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Geography Assistant Professor Federico Andrade Rivas joined a research collaboration led by Dr. Emily Gemmell (University of British Columbia) to develop Canada’s first nationwide “playability index” to assess how urban environments support young children’s outdoor free play.

Children are increasingly growing up in car-centric cities with limited access to spaces that promote free play. This is concerning, as most of their physical activity is a by-product of play. Moreover, research and policy often focus on adults’ behaviours and mobility patterns when assessing how built environments influence human health. Thus, current solutions to improve physical activity and well-being through urban interventions often assume that children will benefit from designs and metrics tailored to adults’ mobility and behaviour. Adults often assume that outdoor playtime is limited to playgrounds and parks, whereas children view almost any space as potentially playable. In order to contribute to filling up these gaps in research and policy, the team developed Playscore. This effort led to a publication in the journal Cities and Canada national level media coverage.

The playability index was built from an evidence-based framework for neighbourhood playability among children developed by the team. This framework identified five major domains influencing outdoor free play: spaces for play, social, traffic/pedestrian and natural environments, and child-relevant destinations. The team approach to build the index consisted of four steps: selection of indicators to operationalize distinct concepts within these domains, a survey of experts to inform the weighting of metric components and obtain feedback on indicator selection and finally, weighting and aggregation of indicators and domains into a composite metric.

Importantly, the analysis of the playscore results showed that average scores did not vary much across the 35 Canadian cities included in the study. However, there is wide variation in neighbourhood playability within the same city, which ranges from 52-77%. The team also found that 39% of children lived in areas where at least one key factor, like safe streets or access to nature, scored in the bottom 10% for all neighbourhoods in the city. Moreover, for a majority of cities, materially disadvantaged neighbourhoods had lower playability scores, leading to health equity and environmental justice issues. Even within the same city, children experience vast difference in access to environments that support outdoor play and physical, cognitive, and social-emotional well-being.

The potential application of the playability index operates at multiple scales. It enables small area-level assessment of supportiveness, barriers and facilitators to young children's outdoor play, while proposes a theoretical framework and methodological approach that may be adapted to develop indices of playability across diverse urban contexts. This work highlights the importance of research that can inform interventions at the local and regional level, while promoting the creation of similar tools in other urban contexts like the US. In addition, it contributes to shape the public discourse on who and what matters when we evaluate and design our cities.

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Feature-Faculty

Jennifer Balch and Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab (ESIIL) are launching the Fast Fire Network

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John O'Loughlin: We asked Ukrainians what they think of Trump – more view him as an enemy than a friend

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Ellen Considine: Indonesia’s air quality got worse after China banned plastic waste imports

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Assitant Professor Isaac Rivera Receives 91���Ҹ� & Innovation Office (RIO) Arts & Humanities Grant

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Waleed Abdalati Selected as Sesquicentennial Faculty Scholar

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Two Geography professors were selected for the 91���Ҹ� 91���Ҹ�’s Sustainability 91���Ҹ� Initiative Fellowship

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Mark Serreze: Arctic Amplification and Changing Precipitation

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Geography Professor Isaac Rivera Launches The Rita Martinez Spatial Justice Lab

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Jessica Finlay: GOALie Geographer

Off

Federico Andrade Rivas: Do you live in a playable neighbourhood? A new national level metric aims to answer this question

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Assitant Professor Isaac Rivera Receives 91��Ҹ� & Innovation Office (RIO) Arts & Humanities Grant

Two Geography professors were selected for the 91��Ҹ� 91��Ҹ�’s Sustainability 91��Ҹ� Initiative Fellowship