News

Companies undercount emissions from their supply chains by billions of tons, a new study reveals. A new model could help them find and shrink the biggest contributors to their carbon footprints.

With support from a grant from the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy, Earth system science master's student Mustafa Sultan is building an efficient HVAC system for the modern electricity grid.

A microbiologist discusses her research into the robust lipid membranes of ancient microbes to reveal secrets about Earth’s environmental past and future.

David Lobell discusses how satellite data and artificial intelligence can provide insights on food security, poverty, and sustainability in this episode of the Stanford Ecopreneurship podcast.

Scientists have discovered wintertime seismic activity in the ocean around Antarctica controls summer growth of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that fuel the marine food web and sequester huge amounts of carbon from Earth’s atmosphere.

New research shows rising hydrogen emissions since 1990 have indirectly intensified climate change and amplified the impact of methane. Limiting leaks from future hydrogen fuel projects and cutting methane emissions will be key to securing benefits from hydrogen as a clean-burning alternative to oil and gas.

Adam Pellegrini engages in collaborations and field experiments across the globe to examine how ecosystems respond to global change and predict their resilience to major disturbances, such as wildfires, droughts, and disease outbreaks.

Gas and propane stoves emit substantial amounts of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to higher risks of asthma, heart and lung disease, and other conditions. A Stanford-led study finds switching from a gas to electric stove would cut nitrogen dioxide exposure across the U.S. by over one half, reducing the risk of asthma.

Stanford researchers are studying how changing weather patterns, rising temperatures, and ecological shifts affect the global food system, while developing ways to improve food security for all.

A new framework informed by Stanford-led research and stakeholder convenings balances conservation with cultural heritage and sustainable resettlement of communities removed from an island chain decades ago.

Weather patterns that produced five severe heat waves in Europe over the past 30 years could kill thousands more people if repeated in today’s hotter global climate, a new study finds. Rapid acceleration of efforts to adapt to greater extremes could save lives. 

Eleven scholars from across Stanford University will travel to Belém, Brazil in November 2025 for the United Nations climate summit known as COP30. Discover events, attendees, and expert insights.

Testing and comparing AI models can verify and build trust in their ability to measure and map carbon stored in forests, according to new research. The breakthrough could transform how companies and countries track and pay for nature’s help with combatting climate change.

Ahead of the global climate summit known as COP30, Stanford experts discuss how global developments, such as investments in natural solutions and renewable energy, could redefine climate progress in the absence of U.S. leadership.

In many parts of the world, staple crops such as maize and wheat are dependent on rainfall recycled from land rather than oceans, making them more vulnerable to drought. Researchers at Stanford and the University of California San Diego identified a critical threshold in atmospheric moisture sources that could help predict and prevent future crop failures.

Ninety years of tidepool observations in Monterey Bay have taught Stanford researchers about climate change impacts on the ocean and the evolution of science.

Stanford researchers are uncovering the journey of microplastics in our environment and their effects on human health, while developing practical solutions to mitigate their impact.

Scholars across campus are leveraging AI to drive remarkable advancements in fields from robotics to neuroscience to mining, while fostering a cautious approach to the application of the technology.

For the first time, researchers report that Arctic algae can hustle along in -15 C – the lowest-temperature movement ever recorded in complex, living cells. This discovery raises new questions about how algal communities regulate the overall health of the Arctic environment.

Scholars including Daniel Neamati, a TomKat Center Graduate Fellow, and Tadashi Fukami, a professor of Earth system science, rely on aerial imagery to enhance their understanding of landscape changes and ecological recovery at at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma).

Jennifer Burney combines physics, economics, and on-the-ground data to understand how practical, local solutions and better policies can help improve access to food, support farmers, and drive down planet-warming emissions.

Often portrayed as lumber-hungry nuisances, North American beavers build dams that help freshwater ecosystems thrive. A new Stanford-led study uses high-resolution aerial imagery to map beaver dams and ponds, ultimately aiding managers in prioritizing areas for restoring wetlands and reintroducing beavers.

Adolescents living in flood-prone areas of Bangladesh face dramatically higher rates of anxiety and depression than their peers in lower-risk regions, according to a Stanford-led study that highlights a hidden cost of climate change with potentially devastating long-term consequences.

A new Stanford-led study finds that controlled, low-intensity fires known as prescribed burns can slash wildfire intensity and dangerous smoke pollution across the western United States.