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Jennie C. Stephens

Professor of Climate Justice, ICARUS Climate Research Centre, Maynooth University
Chapter Member: Boston SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Jennie

Stephens' research focuses on social-political aspects of renewable energy transformation, climate resilience, reducing fossil-fuel reliance, gender diversity in energy and climate, and social, economic and racial justice in climate and energy policy. Themes in Stephens' writings include energy democracy, technical fixes, and distributing and diversifying power. Stephens serves on the Massachusetts Energy & Environmental Affairs 80x50 Steering Committee and co-chairs the energy education community of practice for the National Council for Science and Environment.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

The Fed Is Out of Touch on Climate

Commentary,

In the News

Opinion: "How the Oil and Gas Industry Influences Higher Education," Jennie C. Stephens (with Emily Eaton), The Conversation, September 8, 2024.
Quoted by Dharna Noor in "University Funding From Fossil Fuels Slowing Switch to Green Energy," The Guardian, September 5, 2024.
Opinion: "The Dangerous Politics of Climate Engineering," Jennie C. Stephens (with Benjamin Day), Common Dreams, July 21, 2024.
Opinion: "Peter Burke Revealed Something About the ‘Organised Hypocrisy’ of the State’s Climate Approach," Jennie C. Stephens (with Orla Kelly), The Irish Times, July 16, 2024.
Opinion: " Divesting From Israel’s War Isn’t Naive. Students Did It With Fossil Fuels," Jennie C. Stephens, Truthout, June 15, 2024.
Opinion: "Central Banks Should Be Fighting the Climate Crisis – Here’s Why," Jennie C. Stephens (with Martin Sokol), The Conversation, January 4, 2024.
Opinion: "Reconnecting Economics Education with Today’s Global Realities," Jennie C. Stephens, Nonprofit Quarterly, December 20, 2023.
Opinion: "Why the Fed Should Treat Climate Change’s $150B Economic Toll Like Other National Crises It’s Helped Fight," Jennie C. Stephens (with Martin Sokol), The Conversation, November 29, 2023.
Opinion: "Fed Chair Powell Is Ignoring the Greatest Threat to Our Economy: Climate Risk," Jennie C. Stephens, The Hill, November 17, 2023.
Quoted by Molly Callahan in "Northeastern Professor Says the Green New Deal’s Focus on Renewable Energy Could Fight Global Warming, Create Healthier Communities," Northeastern Global News, February 22, 2023.
Quoted by Marshall Shepherd in "The Climate Science Behind The Green New Deal - A Layperson's Explanation," Forbes, February 24, 2019.
Opinion: "Fossil Fuels Are Bad for Your Health and Harmful in Many Ways Besides Climate Change," Jennie C. Stephens (with Noel Healy and Stephanie Malin), DeSmog, February 14, 2019.
Quoted by Allie Nicodemo in "Risks of Manipulating the Global Thermostat," Northeastern Global News, December 12, 2017.
Opinion: "Should Governments Require Utilities to Make the Electric Grid More Stormproof?," Jennie C. Stephens, The Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2017.
Opinion: "Fossil Fuel Divestment Debates on Campus Spotlight the Societal Role of Colleges and Universities," Jennie C. Stephens, The Conversation, April 17, 2015.

Publications

"Financial Innovation for Climate Justice: Central Banks and Transformative ‘Creative Disruption’" (with Martin Sokol). Climate and Development (2023).

Addresses the role of global financial architectures, particularly central banks and their monetary policies, in fostering transformative change for climate justice. Argues that current central bank practices are exacerbating the climate crisis rather than mitigating it, and proposes a shift in monetary policy tools that central banks could deploy to promote transformative climate justice.

"Climate Justice in Higher Education: A Proposed Paradigm Shift Towards a Transformative Role for Colleges and Universities" (with Alaina Kino, Elijah Miller, Hannah Axtel, lIlana Hirschfeld, Sophie Leggett, and Yutong Si ). Climate Change 172, no. 2 (2023): 15.

Makes a conceptual contribution by exploring the potential of this paradigm shift in higher education. Discusses through a commitment to advancing transformative climate justice, colleges and universities around the world could realign and redefine their priorities in teaching, research, and community engagement to shape a more just, stable, and healthy future.

"Energy Democracy: Redistributing Power to the People Through Renewable Transformation" Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 61, no. 2 (2019): 4-13.

Mentions the growing social movement of "energy democracy" - resdistributing power with renewable energy transformation.

"Renewable Energy for Puerto Rico" Science 362, no. 6410 (2018): 7.

Describes the potential for renewable energy in Puerto Rico.