The Earth is slowly heating up, and only we, as a global community, can stop it. With the knowledge behind what is happening, we can effect change. Using his Ph.D in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale and his LL.M in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the Northwestern College of Law at Lewis & Clark University, Dr. John Perona takes us on a journey into the science and politics of the climate crisis.
Dr. Perona unites the basic science of climate change, the rise of green technologies, and the political implications of climate science to present a concise guide to the critical facts of climate change. He offers actionable tips on how to engage with scientific leaders, government officials, community leaders, and individuals like you and me. Dr. Perona offers a grounded, optimistic outlook for humanity, but only if we engage with science and act with knowledge.

John Perona earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University (1983) and PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale (1989). He has also earned a JD (Santa Barbara College of Law, 2008) and LLM in environmental and natural resources law (Lewis & Clark University, 2016). After earning his doctorate, Dr. Perona conducted postdoctoral studies in enzyme chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, prior to joining the faculty of the Chemistry Department at UC Santa Barbara in 1994. In 2011, he moved to his current position on the faculties of Portland State and Oregon Health & Science Universities.

Dr. Peronaʼs accomplishments include publication of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and reviews in Biochemistry and related fields, and critically published analyses of the law and policy of groundwater management, genetic engineering of agricultural crops, and biodiesel development. His teaching experience includes classes in environmental chemistry and the application of synthetic biology to solve environmentally challenging problems.

Since 2013, Dr. Perona has been active in a number of climate advocacy groups, especially the Citizensʼ Climate Lobby, which petitions Congress to enact an aggressive economy-wide price on carbon, and the Metro Climate Action Team in Portland, Oregon, whose work focuses on ensuring compliance with Governor Kate Brownʼs 2020 executive order directing state agencies to reduce and regulate greenhouse gas emissions. He has worked with several nonprofit environmental law firms and legal clinics, advocating against expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.