A new treatment to prevent wildfires
Scientists and engineers worked with state and local agencies to develop and test a long-lasting, environmentally benign fire-retarding material. If used on high-risk areas, the simple, affordable treatment could dramatically cut the number of fires that occur each year.
Under pressure: Viewing how hydrogen transforms
Researchers have determined how hydrogen molecules are packed at extremely high pressures. Their work solves the long-standing mystery of the structure of the dense form of hydrogen, called phase IV.
Scientists finally find superconductivity in exactly the place they've been looking for decades
The Hubbard model, used to understand electron behavior in numerous quantum materials, now shows us its stripes, and superconductivity too, in simulations for cuprate superconductors.
Stanford researchers discuss changes to Endangered Species Act
America’s signature legislation for saving species faces a major overhaul. Conservation and legal experts examine likely impacts of the new rules and legal options for challenging them.
Finding lead in turmeric
Some spice processors in Bangladesh use an industrial lead chromate pigment to imbue turmeric with a bright yellow color prized for curries and other traditional dishes, elevating blood lead levels in Bangladeshis.
Research suggests ecosystem investments to minimize storm damage
A new Stanford-led study provides information on how to invest in natural coastal ecosystems that the Bahamian government, community leaders and development banks are applying in post-disaster recovery and future storm preparation in the Bahamas.
Why are mountains so high?
Researchers have analyzed mountain ranges worldwide to show that a theory relating erosion and mountain height doesn’t always add up.
A roadmap to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2030
An international group of experts, including Stanford Earth system scientist Rob Jackson, has published a roadmap of the most viable solutions for slashing greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2030.
How much does air pollution cost the U.S.?
Damages from air pollution have fallen dramatically in the U.S. in recent years, shows new research. But how different sectors of the economy have contributed to that decline is highly uneven.
Transnational corporations increasingly align business models to support stable planet
Some of the world’s largest transnational corporations are changing their business models to acknowledge their impact on climate and biodiversity. A new analysis indicates a significant shift in corporate values.
A practical guide to planning and achieving green growth
Economic development plans often overlook a crucial detail – ecosystems that provide essential services to people. Stanford experts discuss a new sustainable development approach that balances the needs of people and nature.
Catalyst opens way to sustainable fuels from carbon dioxide
A new way to convert carbon dioxide into the building block for sustainable liquid fuels was very efficient in tests and did not have the reaction that destroys the conventional device.
Stanford Law’s Deborah Sivas on proposed rollback of key climate change regulations
Environmental Law expert Professor Deborah Sivas explains how planned deregulations by the Trump Administration will impact climate change.
New ways to find natural gas leaks quickly
Finding natural gas leaks more quickly and at lower cost could reduce methane emissions. Ten promising technologies mounted on drones, trucks and airplanes were tested last year. The results are in.
Satellite data can reveal fire susceptibility in peatlands
Fires in Southeast Asian peatlands release huge amounts of carbon, along with deadly smoke. Now, new satellite measurements of soil moisture may offer a promising approach to reducing those fires and their widespread haze.
Plastics, fuels and chemical feedstocks from CO2? They’re working on it.
SUNCAT researchers discovered a way to improve a key step in these conversions, and explore what it would take to turn the climate-changing gas into valuable products on an industrial scale.
Investigating obstacles to disease eradication
The realities of subsistence living in a region of Senegal hard hit by schistosomiasis make reinfection likely, despite mass drug administration. Stanford researchers find that engaging communities in the design of disease control programs could help.
Making California’s water supply resilient
Stanford researchers examine effective strategies to rising water scarcity concerns in the context of climate change.
Vintage film shows Thwaites Glacier ice shelf in Antarctica melting faster than previously observed
Newly available archival film has revealed the eastern ice shelf of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is melting faster than previous estimates, suggesting the shelf may collapse sooner than expected.
Ancient die-off greater than the dinosaur extinction
When significant oxygen entered the atmosphere, ancient life multiplied. But after a few hundred million years, Earth’s oxygen plummeted, resulting in a die-off likely greater than the extinction of the dinosaurs.