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.


Cornell's Sutton Road solar farm opens in Geneva

Cornell's new Sutton Road solar farm, a facility that will offset 40 percent of the electricity at the university's agricultural experiment station in Geneva, New York, has become operational.

Made better through science: Calcite tuned to be mollusk-tough

A Cornell-led international team of researchers has developed a way to harden natural calcite by a factor of two or more through the addition of amino acids aspartic acid and glycine.

Design alumna shares lessons on sustainability, life

Jessica Cooper ’07 delivered the biennial Glenn H. Beyer Memorial Lecture April 27 on campus. She is executive vice president and director of sustainability at Delos Solutions.

Solar-powered tag allows tracking of songbird migration

Professor of ecology and evolutionary biology David Winkler has developed the first lifetime-solar-powered tag for small songbirds to track them.

Rawlings Scholars' research ranges from earworms to robots

From creating well-mannered robots to updating weed field guides to understanding why catchy songs turn into earworms, students showed their 2016 Senior Expo research projects April 21.

Beyond milkweed: Monarchs face habitat, nectar threats

In the face of scientific dogma that faults the population decline of monarch butterflies on a lack of milkweed and herbicides, a new Cornell study casts wider blame: sparse autumnal nectar sources, weather and habitat fragmentation.

Work of undergrad researchers spans many fields

With a record-breaking number of students unveiling their research at the 31st annual Spring Research Forum, hosted by the CURB, the world’s future looks full of solutions.

Sheryl WuDunn envisions China's environmental future

Sheryl WuDunn ’81 delivered this year’s Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture at Klarman Hall's Groos Family Auditorium April 20.

Rising seas puts Vietnam in climate change 'bull’s-eye'

Mike Hoffmann went to Vietnam for the first time in 47 years: On his first tour of duty, he was a 19-year-old U.S. Marine, and for the March 2016 trip, Hoffmann returned as an environmental scientist.