Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Cornell is a global leader in sustainability and climate change research, teaching and engagement. Our campuses are living laboratories for developing, testing and implementing solutions that address these most challenging issues.


Students share tales of global climate change on Capitol Hill

After traveling through Vietnam's Mekong Delta in January, examining climate change through the lens of another country, four Cornell students toured the halls of Congress in late March to tell all about it.

Human illness can demonstrably harm the environment

For decades, scientists have known that unhealthy surroundings induce human illness. Now, research suggests that communities of very sick people may damage the environment, according to a new study in PNAS, April 3.

Researchers discover high-def electron pathways in soil

Cornell scientists have discovered a new high-definition system that allows electrons to travel through soil farther and more efficiently than previously thought, according to Nature Communication, March 31.

Cornell leaders discuss Earth Source Heat at Ithaca forum

Members of Cornell's Senior Leaders Climate Action Group presented highlights of their report, 'Options for Achieving a Carbon Neutral Campus by 2035,' at a public meeting March 28 in downtown Ithaca.

Former Japan prime minister discusses nuclear plant disaster

Naoto Kan, Japan’s prime minister from 2010 to 2011, discussed his experience leading his country through the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in a March 28 talk at the Statler Auditorium.

Faculty projects get global-at-home curriculum grants

Ten faculty-led projects are receiving approximately $170,000 in Internationalizing the Cornell Curriculum grants this year, the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs has announced.

Set strawberry alarm clock for post-apple bloom

Growers who time their strawberries to bloom just after apples do, can reap a better harvest, according to new research from the lab of Bryan Danforth, professor of entomology.

Researchers look for genetic clues to help grapes survive cold

3-D images of grape buds produced at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source may help geneticists to create crops that can withstand extreme cold.

Microalgae could play key role in relieving climate warming

Marine microalgae may play a crucial role in mitigating atmospheric greenhouse gas, reducing carbon dioxide from commercial agriculture and steadying the global climate, according to Cornell research.