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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 7d

It was a great week of new insights and connections 🌟 #ClimateWeekNYC

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 7d

A few highlights from our scholars at #ClimateWeekNYC:

🚀 Sharing about the Climate Tech Atlas, a new resource developed with Breakthrough Energy + other collaborators
🌎 Discussing climate innovation and food security research opportunities
🎤 Showcasing expertise at the Sustainability Accelerator

Charlotte Pera speaks on a panel in front of an audience

Bill Barnett, Jen Burney, and other panelists listen to a speaker

Wide view of Charlotte Pera speaking with a microphone to a room of people

Group photo of Sustainability Accelerator leaders smiling together

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 8d

The conference was organized by @lavainspace.bsky.social along with leaders at @setiinstitute.bsky.social, NASA Ames Research Center, @ucsantacruz.bsky.social, @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @ucdavis.bsky.social, & Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 8d

Over 100 planetary scientists from around the Bay Area recently gathered at Stanford to connect and discuss their research. Highlights:

📸 Laura Schaefer and Michelle Hill

View from the back of a large room with a person presenting slides at the front

Two people smiling holding lunar meteorites

A person presents their research during a poster session

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 11d

Paula Welander, a microbiologist and professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, joined @scifri.bsky.social last week to talk about how studying ancient evidence of tiny organisms can help us understand the origins of life on Earth. ⬇️
bit.ly/480aDg1

Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 14d

How did life begin? A microbiologist digs into fossilized clues from ancient microbes to help answer one of science’s biggest questions.

The Humble Microbe Could Help Us Understand Life Itself

Unlocking the basic science of microbes, especially those that live in extreme environments, could help us find life elsewhere in the universe.

buff.ly

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 18d

“I’m doing something that’s merging geology and geochemistry with spacecraft. This is something I’ve been interested in since I was a kid. A lot of people in my field are obsessed with aliens, but I always was obsessed with rocks and planetary bodies.”
Meet Eva L. Scheller, new assistant professor:

Shaping planetary sciences at Stanford

Eva Scheller designs and plans spacecraft instruments, including Mars rovers and satellites, and analyzes the data to understand the formation, evolution, and habitability of planetary bodies.

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 19d

Learn about the Climate Tech Atlas (climatetechatlas.com), a new, free-to-use platform to identify opportunities for building a clean, affordable, and energy-abundant future.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 20d

Exclusive: Some of the biggest names in climate tech are forming a new coalition to map out the future of decarbonization.

Exclusive: Climate Tech Leaders Form New Coalition to Map Out the Future of Decarbonization

Elemental Impact, Breakthrough Energy, Speed & Scale, Stanford, Energy Innovation, and McKinsey are all partnering to form the “Climate Tech Atlas.”

heatmap.news

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 22d

In a record-breaking discovery, scientists found that algae living in the Arctic ice are active in -15 C – the lowest-temperature movement ever recorded in complex, living cells.

Studying their activity could help us better understand the ecology of the Arctic.

Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

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.

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 26d

A new study shows that companies disclose little about their impacts on the ocean. Identifying these gaps could help improve corporate reporting in the future. stanford.io/4mSxyOX

Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions @oceansolutions.stanford.edu · 29d

Corporate impacts on marine ecosystems are under-reported, according to a new paper led by @oceansolutions.stanford.edu Jean-Baptiste Jouffray. These insights can help improve reporting frameworks with ocean-specific needs.

naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/news/corpora...

Corporate reports miss the mark on ocean health

A new paper reveals major gaps in how companies disclose their impacts on the ocean.

naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · 29d

A new study explains how extreme weather can push some groups to move across borders while trapping many others in place.

When weather-related disasters strike, age and education strongly shape who migrates, the analysis shows.

Study finds extreme weather changes who migrates, not just how many

A new global study finds that extreme weather may trap many populations in place even as it increases migrations of other groups. The analysis shows that age and education strongly shape who migrates ...

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Sep 5

Using a new tool, researchers were able to detect thousands of previously unseen earthquakes in a volcanic area in Italy. Their approach could be adapted to improve understanding of earthquake risk in other areas with seismic monitoring systems.

Read about the study: stanford.io/3JPrIPO

AI model reveals hidden earthquake swarms and faults in Italy’s Campi Flegrei

A new AI model detects thousands of previously unseen earthquakes in near real time, helping scientists understand changes in an Italian volcanic area where earthquakes have been intensifying since 20...

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 28

Solomon Hsiang, a professor of environmental social sciences, applies data science methods to reveal the long-term economic and health impacts of extreme weather events and inform decisions about how to mitigate them. Here are four essential facts from his research.

4 key facts about extreme weather and disaster relief

How do extreme weather events and disasters affect communities long term? Solomon Hsiang explains the consequences for economic growth and human health, and how research can inform better emergency ma...

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 25

Findings from a recent study could upend the conventional view of how rivers have shaped continents over time.

It’s “a significant revision to our understanding of the history of the Earth,” said lead author Michael Hasson.
@marslogander.bsky.social

The rise of plant life changed how rivers move, study shows

Research reveals that unvegetated meandering rivers can geologically masquerade as braided rivers, suggesting they were much more common in the first 90 percent of Earth’s history than previously thou...

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 19

With support from the Sustainability Accelerator at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, researchers have shown that, compared to green peas, a variety of black peas with a 3,000-year legacy in the Trans-Himalayas is more nutritious and climate resilient.

Study reveals benefits of traditional Himalayan crops

Stanford researchers discovered that a nearly forgotten variety of black peas from the northwest Himalayas in India is genetically distinct from other peas and outperforms them.

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 18

“We developed ways of finding corals that are going to survive the next heat wave. And started using them to rebuild reefs.”

Read about the impact of research by @spalumbi.bsky.social, professor of oceans:

Stanford University @stanford.edu · Aug 15

Stanford marine biologist Steve Palumbi uses genetic tools to answer questions about ocean life and its future. Communities around the world are using equipment he developed to identify heat-resistant corals and rebuild reefs that provide food, storm protection, and livelihoods.

‘We can’t wait to know everything before we start trying to help’

Stanford marine biologist Steve Palumbi uses fundamental science to find practical solutions to pressing questions about ocean life and its future. His lab’s work on the effects of heat waves on marin...

news.stanford.edu

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 14

Read more about the findings in The Washington Post: wapo.st/4mAdBfL

Home batteries are saving America from blackouts

Home battery storage systems are keeping lights on during summer energy crunches in Puerto Rico and elsewhere across the United States.

wapo.st

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 14

💡 According to a new study, installing solar panels with battery storage could reduce electricity costs and help manage power outages for the majority of U.S. households.

Researchers emphasize the need for equitable access to these solar-battery benefits.

@stanfordenergy.bsky.social

Most U.S. households can save money and weather blackouts with solar plus storage

For most American families, installing solar panels and battery packs can lower electricity costs and manage local and regional power outages affordably, a new Stanford study finds.

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 13

Beaver dams create ponds that foster biodiversity, improve water quality, and even limit the spread of wildfires. Here’s how researchers are helping watershed managers understand the best areas to support beaver populations and restore wetlands: stanford.io/3HvTHD2

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment @woods.stanford.edu · Aug 11

🦫 Bringing back #beavers – and the nature-based solutions they offer for #freshwater, #biodiversity, and #ClimateResilience

New study uses #RemoteSensing to map beaver dams + ponds with an eye toward prioritizing areas for restoration and reintroducing beavers.

🔗 bit.ly/bringing-back-beavers

A woman stands in waders holding a measuring tape. Text reads "Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, New Research, 'Our findings can help land managers figure out where beaver activity will have the biggest impact. It gives them a practical tool for using nature to solve water and climate problems.' Luwen Wan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth System Science, Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence"

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 12

The Blue Food Assessment Indonesia highlights the potential of aquatic food sources to improve nutrition, food security, and livelihoods across the country. Launched last week, it's the first assessment of its kind at the national level. See contributions from @oceansolutions.stanford.edu scholars ⬇️

Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions @oceansolutions.stanford.edu · Aug 6

Highlights from the Indonesia Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) Blue Food Forum. 🐟

Co-director Jim Leape joined a panel discussion to celebrate the launch of the #BlueFoodAssessment Indonesia.

Learn more: oceansolutions.stanford.edu/co-designing...

📷: Bappenas

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 7

Nature as a mental health solution 🌳

A new study from @natcapproject.bsky.social, part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, shows that spending even a little time in nature can provide significant mental health benefits in urban settings.

For city dwellers, even 15 minutes in nature can improve mental health

A new study clarifies the importance of nature for mental health in urban settings and provides low-cost recommendations for improving public health in cities.

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Aug 6

Tiny fragments of plastic that fail to break down have pervaded our water, food, ecosystems, and the human body.

Stanford researchers working to measure and reduce plastic waste discuss the impacts of plastic pollution and what can be done:

What’s the deal with microplastics, the material that ‘never goes away’?

Whether we know it, or like it, our bodies are polluted by tiny fragments of plastic that fail to break down in our earthly environment. What does that mean for our long-term health, and what can we d...

bit.ly

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Jul 31

🏖️ Beneath sandy beaches, tiny organisms maintain coastal water quality and safeguard ocean health.

Understanding and preserving these microbial communities may be critical for coastal resilience and the mitigation of climate impacts.

Here’s what the research says:

Hidden microbes protect coastal waters. Will they do their job as sea levels rise?

A study conducted at Stinson Beach illustrates how microbes in the sand filter chemicals from groundwater before they reach the ocean – and what might happen in the face of climate change.

stanford.io

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Jul 30

“In Earth science, you have to put together a lot of different things. You have to know a little bit of math, physics, chemistry. That's one thing I really like about Earth science, and that's the reason why I keep on doing what I do.”

Meet Ettore Biondi, new assistant professor of geophysics:

Searching for the structure of Earth’s subsurface

Ettore Biondi uses fiber sensing technologies and dense seismic sensor networks to understand the underlying mechanisms and subsurface structures driving geophysical processes such as volcanic system ...

stanford.io

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Jul 28

Read about the impact of global climate change on agriculture and food security in a Q&A with David Lobell, professor of Earth system science ⬇️

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · Jul 28

How has climate change shaped global crop yields over the past 50 years? In a new PNAS QnAs, @nationalacademies.org member David B. Lobell discusses what the data reveal and what it means for the future of food security. Read the QnAs: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

QnAs with David B. Lobell. Agricultural Ecologist. Member of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability @stanforddoerr.bsky.social · Jul 23

Cement production is one of the largest industrial contributors to global warming. Tiziana Vanorio, associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences, is reinventing cement with a radically lower carbon footprint – inspired by volcanic chemistry. Here’s how: stanford.io/4o41BUy

One surprising fact about greener cement

Centuries ago, Pliny the Elder marveled at the transformation of volcanic ash. Today, researchers are reinventing cement by harnessing volcanic chemistry to create more sustainable building materials.

stanford.io