Jeffrey Peterson | An Island Press author

Jeffrey Peterson

Jeffrey Peterson has 40 years of experience in environmental policy development and program management, particularly focused on water issues. Most recently he was Senior Advisor in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water responsible for climate change policy. In that capacity he co-chaired the EPA Sea Level Rise Workgroup and was a member of the Federal Interagency Sea Level Rise Workgroup. He also worked for almost four years at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) during the first Obama term. At CEQ, he co-chaired the Interagency Water Resources and Climate Change Workgroup and authored the first national plan addressing water resources management and climate change. Returning to EPA in 2012, he chaired the National Water Program Climate Change Workgroup and served for five years as the Federal co-chair of the Climate Change and Water Workgroup of the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). Before joining EPA in 1995, he worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sustaining Coastal Wetlands in a Time of Severe Storms and Rising Seas

Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 2:00pm EST
More severe storms and rising sea levels resulting from a changing climate pose a threat to ecosystems along the American coast, including beaches, dunes, wetlands, and marshes. These ecosystems provide significant environmental, recreation, and economic benefits. Practices to sustain these ecosystems are available but are not well understood, face legal and financial obstacles, and have not been widely implemented.

Day 2 of Current Events: A Virtual Retreat -- Co-Hosted by Ticco and Island Press

Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 11:00am EDT
Climate change continues to pose a serious threat to both urban and rural areas nationwide. How can our work and the programs we create help these places adapt and remain resilient in the face of related challenges? Ticco retreats are a way to manifest a few of the core Ticco values - breaking barriers that divide city building practices and supporting the education of future leaders in our fields.

A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 - 3:00pm EDT
What can we do to preserve the social fabric of vulnerable communities, maintain essential services, and assure just transitions to new coasts in the face of climate change? Please join Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island for this conversation, featuring a presentation by Jeffrey Peterson, author of " New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas"

Webinar: Strategies for Coastal Resilience: How Communities Need to Adapt

Friday, February 28, 2020 - 1:30pm EST
More severe storms and rising seas will inexorably push the American coastline inland, leading to profound impacts on communities, infrastructure and natural systems. How can we prepare for these changes? What kinds of adaptations are going to be required? What tools are available to planners, coastal managers, and developers to protect vulnerable areas?