Stanford Earth Matters covers insights, discoveries, and solutions from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
How the meat and dairy sector resists competition from alternative animal products
A new analysis compares innovations and policies related to plant-based and lab-grown alternatives to animal meat and dairy in the U.S. and European Union. (Source: Stanford News)
Summer reading to fuel curiosity and conversation about sustainability
Faculty and scholars associated with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability recommend these 29 books for your summer reading.
Better predictions of wildfire spread may sit above the treetops
Stanford researchers show that understanding the physics of wind currents above forest canopies may help wildfire managers forecast the flight paths of dangerous burning embers.
Researchers rule out thick carbon dioxide atmosphere for rocky exoplanet
An international team of researchers has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to calculate the amount of heat energy coming from the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c. The result suggests that the planet’s atmosphere – if it exists at all – is extremely thin.
Gas stoves emit benzene
About 47 million homes use natural gas or propane-burning cooktops and ovens. Stanford researchers found that cooking with gas stoves can raise indoor levels of the carcinogen benzene above those found in secondhand smoke. (Source: Stanford News)
Q&A: Solar geoengineering as the 'airbags' of a robust climate response
Stanford visiting scholar Douglas MacMartin discusses how solar geoengineering – artificially reflecting sunlight back into space – could fit into the array of solutions for the climate future. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)
The future of wastewater
An engineer explains why purifying “waste” water could be the answer to the world’s freshwater problems. (Source: Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast)
Wildfire smoke and air quality
Wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires is polluting air across much of the northeastern US. Explore Stanford research about wildfire smoke, health impacts, and solutions.
Turmeric's unexpected link to lead poisoning in Bangladesh
How scientists found the leading source of high lead levels in pregnant women in Bangladesh. (Source: Stanford Medicine)
Beyond climate dread – how the medical community is helping
A growing number of projects are dedicated to finding solutions to urgent problems of planetary and human health. (Source: Stanford Medicine)
A fix for snowpack's influence on groundwater readings
Scientists have long suspected that the weight of snow and ice in nearby mountains could throw off groundwater assessments tied to elevation changes in California’s Central Valley, but they lacked a way to quantify the effect. A new study demonstrates a solution. (Source: Stanford News)
Quantifying mangroves’ value as a climate solution and economic engine
A new approach quantifies the value of mangrove forests in Belize for carbon sequestration, tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection, then uses the values to target conservation and restoration. (Source: Stanford Natural Capital Project)
Q&A: Supreme Court decision on EPA powers
The May 25 U.S. Supreme Court decision Sackett v EPA "dramatically shrinks the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to regulate wetlands," Stanford environmental law expert Deborah Sivas explains. (Source: Stanford Law School)
Looking back at Stanford's contributions to 2022 energy and environmental research
New reports detail how faculty, students, and scholars came together from across campus to generate sustainability solutions.
Climate change in history textbooks
A new AI-driven analysis finds the most popular U.S. history textbooks used in California and Texas commonly misrepresent the scientific consensus around climate change. (Source: Stanford News)
Q&A: Colorado River deal and ongoing challenges
Water and natural resources expert Buzz Thompson discusses a recent tentative deal to reduce water use by entities drawing from the Colorado River, averting near-term potential disaster and predictions that the river could all but stop. (Source: Stanford Law School)
Collaborating for climate resilience
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Naval Postgraduate School recently convened experts to discuss coastal resilience, water security, and energy security for communities and military installations along the U.S. West Coast. (Source: School Highlights)
The art of geology: Stanford maps spur international recognition of Northern Snake Range in Nevada
Hundreds of students participated in the Stanford Geological Survey, a century-long program that brought undergraduates to the field for extended periods to survey and map the geology of parts of California, Nevada, and Utah. (Source: Stanford News)
Paul R. Ehrlich reflects on six decades of science and speaking his mind
Stanford ecologist and population scientist looks back on his career. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)