Hannah Townley has always had a unique blend of passions and expertise, seamlessly integrating her background as an academic feminist security researcher and environmental justice organizer. Now, working as a contractor at NASA, she supports the Earth Data Office’s mission to maximize the use and benefit of NASA earth science data for both science and society. Her journey, however, reveals a story of intersecting interests and unwavering dedication to sustainable development and gender equity. Hannah’s climate story begins in rural Florida, where her love for the outdoors and her family’s farming instilled in her a deep connection to nature. During college, she became a fervent advocate for immigrants’ rights, organizing and researching for farmworkers’ rights.
This experience highlighted to me the critical link between climate action and environmental justice, underscoring the necessity for intersectional research that combines science with community experiences to create comprehensive models for sustainability.”
As she delved deeper into feminist security studies, Hannah enjoyed her work but hadn’t yet fully explored the overlap between gender and climate action in advancing sustainable development goals. Her transition to NASA as a contractor and project coordinator for the Earth Science Data Systems seemed like a move toward climate security, temporarily sidelining her gender-focused work. That changed when she discovered the UN CC:Learn platform and its courses on integrating a gender perspective into climate action.
These courses were transformative for me, helping me articulate the importance of a gender perspective in my work, especially in identifying data inequities.”
NASA’s Earth Science Data System Team visits NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as part of their work on transforming Earth data from satellite collections to the actionable insights used by communities. (Hannah is second from right)
Working with environmental data, Hannah recognized the need to understand not only earth science impacts but also their socioeconomic consequences. By adopting a data-feminist approach, she could better grasp how crises, such as those caused by climate change, affect different genders differently and create gender-sensitive solutions. This approach became pivotal in her role at NASA and her volunteer work with the Surfrider Foundation, where she continued her activism for climate and environmental justice. This fall, Hannah began a Master’s of Public Policy with a concentration in human security policy. She aims to center human rights discussions in a field often focused on “grand strategy,” driving policy solutions that meet Sustainable Development Goals. Her graduate research will revisit and expand upon her undergraduate thesis, which modeled how violence against women contributed to democratic backsliding in Mexico. She now seeks to study how climate crises exacerbate gendered violence and democratic backsliding, emphasizing climate change mitigation policy as a multiplier for sustainable development across multiple sectors. Through her academic pursuits and continued community organizing, Hannah Townley aspires to be a force for good in the sustainability policy sector.
I believe that to address the climate crisis effectively, our approach must be truly interdisciplinary.”
Her journey from rural Florida to NASA, and now to graduate school, showcases her commitment to integrating gender and climate perspectives in addressing global challenges. Her work exemplifies the power of intersectional research and advocacy in creating resilient, equitable, and sustainable futures for all.
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- Climate Change, Peace and Security: Understanding Climate-Related Security Risks Through an Integrated Lens
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*The views expressed in this story are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the United Nations, NASA or any of its affiliated organizations.