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.

Trump Administration Policies: Their Impact on the Battle Against Climate Change: Current Events Urban Resilience

Since taking office, President Trump and those in his administration have made substantial changes which will have long-term impacts on our cities' ability to prepare for the impacts of climate change. We have seen this demonstrated through actions including the US' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord and limiting the power of existing environmental policies like the National Environmental Policy Act.

Webinar: Strategies for Coastal Resilience

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?

Book Trailer: A New Coast

  In A New Coast, Jeffrey Peterson draws a comprehensive picture of how storms and rising seas will change the coast. Peterson offers a clear-eyed assessment of how governments can work with the private sector and citizens to be better prepared for the coming coastal inundation.