Stanford Earth Matters covers insights, discoveries, and solutions from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
‘Two-Eyed Seeing’ off the California coast
A new research partnership will combine Indigenous and scientific knowledge to monitor marine life in a sacred tribal region that may be a bellwether of how native species will fare in the face of climate change.
Q&A: Accelerating water solutions
Stanford water and sanitation expert Jenna Davis discusses surprising freshwater challenges and potential solutions in the U.S. and abroad. (Source: Stanford Program on Water, Health & Development)
Q&A: Willow oil project and Arctic drilling limits
Stanford experts explain why the recently approved Willow oil drilling project in Alaska has sparked controversy, discuss the significance of new limits on oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, and describe the complicated nature of energy transformation in the fastest-warming place on Earth.
Why whales need to be big
Scientists studied a unique group of Antarctic minke whales and found that these gigantic mammals actually represent the smallest possible body size required for their style of feeding. (Source: Stanford News)
Arctic river channels changing due to climate change, scientists discover
Researchers have tracked the migration pace of large meandering rivers in permafrost regions – a natural process that impacts the amount of organic carbon released into the ocean.
A Burning Issue: Stanford scholar testifies on rising costs of wildfire
Stanford climate and energy policy expert Michael Wara addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget about the economic risks of climate-fueled wildfire. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)
Testing the winds
Anna-Katharina von Krauland’s research on potential wind farm development in the US and India could help ease the transition to renewable energy. (Source: Stanford King Center on Global Development)
Q&A: How to incorporate meaningful climate actions into your life
Stanford alumna and visiting scholar Kim Nicholas discusses obstacles and strategies for what she calls “everyday climate action.” (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)
Zombie forests
Researchers created maps showing where warmer weather has left trees in conditions that don’t suit them, making them more prone to being replaced by other species. The findings could help inform long-term wildfire and ecosystem management in these “zombie forests.” (Source: Stanford News)
Climate patterns shape sand deposits in the deep sea
New findings about how sand deposits form in the deep sea during different climate eras reveal mysterious processes miles beneath the ocean’s surface, and could help future-proof offshore operations like wind farms as the Earth warms and water rises.
Aquatic food benefits
Leveraging blue foods can help policymakers address multiple global challenges, a new analysis shows. (Source: Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions)
Forecasting malaria
A new study integrates climate, land use, and socioeconomic data to explain and predict malaria dynamics at the village level. The approach could inform health care practitioners and make control strategies more efficient and cost-effective. (Source: Stanford News)
Trawlers intermix with whale ‘supergroup’ in Southern Ocean
Scientists observed close to 1,000 fin whales foraging near Antarctica, while fishing vessels trawled for krill in their midst. Without action, such encounters are likely to become more common as this endangered species recovers and krill harvesting intensifies in the Southern Ocean. (Source: Stanford News)
Oil spills and coastal resilience
Two Stanford scientists found hope and lessons for improving disaster response after oil spills hit close to home.
A new chance to protect wetlands
New analysis shows the U.S. has accounted for more wetland conversion and degradation than any other country. Its findings help better explain the causes and impacts of such losses and inform protection and restoration of wetlands. (Source: Stanford News)
Better biodiversity policies
Our health and economic stability depend on biodiversity, but our governing policies often fail to address it coherently. An analysis of the world’s second most biodiverse country, Colombia, highlights how policies that span sectors and actors can fit together to govern biodiversity more effectively. (Source: Stanford News)
AI predicts global warming will exceed 1.5 degrees in 2030s
Artificial intelligence provides new evidence our planet will cross the global warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius within 10 to 15 years. Even with low emissions, we could see 2 C of warming. But a future with less warming remains within reach. (Source: Stanford News)
Whiplash weather: What we can learn from California’s deadly storms
Stanford and local experts discuss ways to mitigate risk to communities and infrastructure amid dramatic swings between flood and drought.
Is fake meat a real solution? Stanford expert explains
Plant-based and lab-grown meat substitutes are here to stay, but are unlikely to eliminate livestock agriculture’s climate and land use impacts anytime soon, according to Stanford environmental scientist David Lobell. In the meantime, Lobell says we should also focus on reducing emissions of animal-based systems. (Source: Stanford News)