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.


Nobel Laureate Chu emphasizes energy efficiency, innovation in Bethe lecture

Steven Chu, who received the 1997 Nobel Prize for 'development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light,' delivered the 2008 Hans A. Bethe lecture at Cornell April 16.

'Planet doctor' warns that climate change will wipe out entire species

Eminent conservation biologist Thomas Lovejoy warns of dire consequences from global warming, April 18, at the Museum of the Earth. (April 22, 2008)

Lab of O helps protect endangered right whales with warning buoys in shipping lanes

Endangered North Atlantic right whales are safer along Massachusetts Bay's busy shipping lanes this spring, thanks to a new system of buoys that recognize whales' distinctive calls. (April 22, 2008)

Effective climate change strategies call for new rules in global politics and economics

To combat global climate change, we need to change the rules underlying global politics and economics, said Timothy Wirth, president of the U.N. Foundation and Better World Fund, April 17. (April 21, 2008)

How campus researchers helped to rescue a rain forest

Researchers from the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Sciences at Cornell are doing what many thought was impossible: reviving a rain forest that was demolished 50 years ago. (April 17, 2008)

Joint sustainable development workshop with Beijing's Tsinghua University is April 29-30

A group of delegates from Tsinghua University will travel to Ithaca to attend the workshop, titled 'Sustainable Development: Water Resources, Energy and the Environment.' (April 11, 2008)

Former Lab of Ornithology artist-in-residence writes climate-change book for children

Lynne Cherry has published 'How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming,' which was influenced by her stay at Cornell.

Bethe lecturer Steven Chu will offer good and bad news about energy

The conservation and renewable energy technologies we have now will probably not be enough, but hopeful new technologies, such as converting biomass into fuel are under study, Chu says.

Sustainability isn't just about climate change, and answers aren't all in technology, engineering conference concludes

Solving the world's energy problems isn't just about research into new technologies, and neither is Cornell research on sustainability, a group of experts told Cornell engineering alumni.