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.


Maine's indigenous plants help economy, Native Americans

Ph.D. student Michelle Baumflek is studying indigenous plants in northern Maine that have economic impact and cultural significance for Native American tribes.

Social media to help farmers deal with climate change

Experts at a July 8 panel discussion on campus said that improvements to existing communications networks, including use of social media, will help.

An ancient breed is resurrected in great grain revival

A Cornell plant breeder is helping to revive red fife wheat and ensuring that what is grown is the real deal.

New rice initiative expands in Haiti

Cornell's SRI (System of Rice Intensification) International Network and Resources Center helped train 17 Haitians recently in how to train farmers to improve rice productivity in the northern Coronel-Dubre region of Haiti.

Low-energy usage makes new 'blue lights' special

To further promote energy conservation, Cornell has been switching all of its approximately 120 campus-safety “blue lights” this summer from energy hogging incandescence to a LED technology, which sips power at one-tenth the rate.

O'Donnell's 'Party Wall' opens at MoMA PS1 in New York

Assistant professor of architecture Caroline O’Donnell's "Party Wall" installation at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City earned praise at its June 27 opening for its sustainable and innovative design.

Two student teams win coveted EPA prize

Two Cornell student teams – a cookstove fuel/biochar group and the AguaClara water filtration project – won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious People, Prosperity and the Planet Award June 19.

Agriculture and climate change meet at new institute

The new Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture, under director Allison Morrill Chatrchyan, will help farmers adapt to climate change.

Cowen, Travis appointed ACSF associate directors

Edwin “Todd” Cowen, professor in the College of Engineering, and Alex Travis, associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, become associate directors of the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future July 1.