Publications

Our research explores a range of topics in the environmental social sciences. We share our findings through peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and white papers, and policy briefs designed for practitioners and policymakers. Use the links to the left to browse publications by type.

2 New Papers! 

"Complementary Pathways to Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behavior: Indoor and Outdoor Nature Exposure During Remote Work" in Indoor Air. The study followed 460 remote workers and found that indoor nature features are linked to lower stress, higher creativity, and more environmentally friendly behaviors, pointing to complementary roles for indoor and outdoor nature exposure.

Xu, J. F., Bloomfield, L. S. P., Sawe, N., Altaf, B., Ardoin, N. M., Murnane, E. L. & Billington, S. L. 2026. Complementary pathways to wellbeing and pro-environmental behavior: Indoor and outdoor nature exposure during remote work. Indoor Air, 2026, 1552884. https://doi.org/10.1155/ina/1552884

"Who Defines a Just Transition: Epistemic Justice and Rural Energy Futures in Japan" in npj Clean Energy. Drawing on interviews, surveys, and focus groups with rural residents and energy stakeholders in Kyushu, Japan, the study explores how rural communities are experiencing the energy transition not only as a technological shift, but as a deeply cultural transformation. The research presents epistemic justice as a core tenet of just transition frameworks, centering place-based knowledge, Edo-era traditions of circular living, and community-led resource stewardship as legitimate expertise in shaping energy futures.

Herring, R., Chapman, A., Polk, E. & Ardoin, N.M. 2026. Who defines a just transition: Epistemic justice and rural energy futures in Japan. npj Clean Energy, 2, 13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44406-026-00030-y

Other Recent Papers

"A Youth-Led Study of Motivations and Supports in Youth Climate Activism" in Climatic Change. The paper explores climate change education-related research that we conducted in collaboration with local young people. Over the past decade, youth climate activism has garnered significant attention from both media and researchers. Understanding how young people engage with and sustain their involvement in climate activism is crucial for nurturing and supporting these efforts. This study draws on sociocultural learning theory and the concept of learningscapes to examine the role of formal education within a dynamic ecosystem of climate learning and action. Youth researchers conducted interviews with young people engaged in various climate activism efforts. Thematic qualitative analysis revealed that formal education experiences positively influenced climate activism through: (1) Structural elements, such as curriculum and extracurricular activities and (2) Normative influences, including passionate educators and peer interactions https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-026-04204-6

“Complementary Interactional Contexts Facilitate Learning about the Environment in Everyday Life” in Sustainability Science. This open-access article addresses opportunities for learning about the environment in interconnected everyday-life contexts. This study of 100+ participants through community listening sessions finds that environmental learning emerges from settings far beyond formal schooling—through workplace conversations, policy incentives, family practices, and engagement with nature itself. Understanding these complementary learning contexts is essential for engaging broader publics in transformative environmental action and addressing pressing sustainability challenges. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-026-01816-w

“Engaging People in Educational Processes that Foster Environmentally Valuable Outcomes: A synthesis of key findings across eight systematic reviews” in People & Nature. This paper synthesizes findings across eight systematic reviews (a total of 546 articles), driven by a central question of: What works in environmental education? Considering a range of contexts, audiences, and outcomes, our findings provide actionable guidance for those working to strengthen human-nature connections and build capacity for environmental stewardship. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70265