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.


Expert cautions: 'Nature never forgets nor forgives'

In his Iscol lecture, land-mending advocate Luc Gnacadja warned that the worldwide problem of soil erosion contributes to poverty and hunger and threatens security and freedom.

Service-learning event honors student, faculty projects

Student and faculty service-learning projects were honored on campus April 17.

Wearable technologies flourish as functional fashion

In the heat of competition, these sporty clothes help keep you cool. Cornell students in fiber science and apparel design have incorporated the comfort and sensibility of athletic wear with fabric that senses body temperature and can help determine whether an athlete is overheated.

New alfalfa variety resists ravenous local pest

Cornell plant breeders have released a new alfalfa variety with some resistance against alfalfa snout beetle, which has ravaged alfalfa fields in New York.

Kenya's drought insurance helps Islamic herders

Cornell is the major research partner in a consortium that is creating culturally acceptable insurance products to reduce the impact of extreme weather on some of the developing world’s most vulnerable populations.

Errant methane plumes detected over Marcellus wells

Using an airplane to detect greenhouse emissions emanating from freshly drilled shale gas wells in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus basin, Cornell and Purdue scientists have found that leaked methane is more of a problem than previously thought.

Corporate greening starts with trained students

Cornell students are learning how to arrive at the 'triple bottom line' – fusing profits, people and the planet – to run a smart but green business.

Climate Action Plan steps up sustainability strategy

As the global importance for a low-carbon economy grows urgent, Cornell has posted its most aggressive carbon-reduction strategy to date: the Cornell Climate Action Plan Update and Roadmap 2014-15.

Biology major Katharine Leigh '15 wins Udall scholarship

Katharine (Kat) Leigh '15, a biology major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received a 2014 Morris K. Udall Scholarship.