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.


Car companies bring fuel-cell cars to campus for test drives

For Cornell's second annual Fuel Cell Ride and Drive, representatives from Toyota, GM and Mercedes-Benz publicly displayed each company's hydrogen fuel-cell car prototype. (Oct. 20, 2009)

Cornell's Silo House finishes seventh at Solar Decathlon

Cornell's innovative Silo House earned a seventh-place finish in the biennial Solar Decathlon competition, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Oct. 16, 2009)

Researcher uses funding to study heavy metal tolerance

With stimulus package funding, soil scientist Olena Vatamaniuk is studying a worm model system for clues into how humans might detoxify heavy metals.

Unpaving paradise: Students turn parking spot into a park for a day

On Sept. 25 landscape architecture students transformed a parking space in Collegetown into a park for a day to promote green spaces in cities. (Sept. 25, 2009)

Program offers green job training to veterans, many with disabilities

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County has received some $317,000 of stimulus funding to provide training to 120 veterans, many with disabilities, for green jobs. (Sept. 22, 2009)

Annual Fall Harvest Dinner is Sept. 24 with celebrity chef, author Suvir Saran

Gourmet cuisine featuring food from local and regional farms and celebrity chef, author Suvir Saran will be on tap Sept. 24 at Robert Purcell Community Center. (Sept. 21, 2009)

Lab of Ornithology helps Maya Lin realize her dream in creating arts series on species loss

On Sept. 17 in San Francisco, artist Maya Lin unveiled the first component of her serial art installation on species loss, which uses sounds and videos from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (Sept. 17, 2009)

Cornell's climate plan cuts carbon emissions to zero by 2050, saves millions of dollars

Cornell's new Climate Action Plan, released Sept. 15, will not only make the university far more energy efficient but also could save Cornell hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 40 years.

Grant to broaden student expertise in sustainable materials

A new grant from the National Science Foundation will support 30 graduate students working in the Cornell Center for Materials Research on the development of materials to advance sustainable living. (Sept. 15, 2009)