Articles

Many believe over-regulation stifles innovation, but one regulation bucks this notion. New research suggests that companies subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) get more green patents certified compared to their unregulated peers.

President Biden’s plan to decarbonize the electricity sector requires shuttering the fossil fuel generators that currently provide more than 60 percent of U.S. electricity. New research shows which plants will become stranded assets under this plan, a critical step in managing a just transition for fossil fuel communities.

Urban residents might like to think that city funds marked for equity go towards its most vulnerable members. A closer look at Chicagoan neighborhoods reveals that public spending often goes towards business interests instead.

Governments and regulators are moving away from large-scale water infrastructure towards smaller hydropower plants. This means both decommissioning aging dams and investing in smaller hydropower plants. But neither of them is a simple solution. Experts have analyzed these global trends and call for detailed scientific assessments and strict regulations as the right way forward.

The pandemic has shaken global supply chains, highlighting the importance of enhanced management and fresh priorities. New research finds top factors to increase supply chain resilience to future disruptions.

Globally, half of urban residents live in small cities, which may struggle to provide services efficiently and effectively. A recent study of waste management in the Czech Republic shows that if these small municipalities work together, they can gain significant benefits in the long-run.

While meat alternatives are gaining popularity, not all offer the same sustainability gains. In fact, the general perception of their environmental benefits may be skewed by the technological sophistication of their production. Awareness of these factors can positively influence the public to make more sustainable food choices.

The United States, as with governments around the world, will spend vast amounts of money to recover from COVID-induced economic recessions. Choosing to invest in a green recovery, including financing renewable energy, clean physical infrastructure, and reforestation, would be most advantageous not only for the planet and human health, but also for employment and the economy.  

The increasing incidence of drought in the United States calls for creative ways to distribute limited water resources. Water markets are one response to this challenge, but do they work? A recent study uses data from the Rio Grande Valley to quantify their impact.

Green spaces are essential features of livable and sustainable cities. In order to ensure that everyone benefits from them, researchers, community leaders and city planners need to understand how and when green spaces may contribute to the displacement of low-income communities. Predicting displacement, however, is only the first step to creating better access to parks. 

Engagement at the nexus of environmental and feminist communication studies, until recently, has been cursory. A new field, Intersectional ecofeminist communication studies, aims to address this engagement and offers guiding principles for approaching environmental communication challenges. 

The largest Arctic research expedition ever has recently returned from a year drifting in an ice floe. Dr. Janin Schaffer, an oceanographer and Team Lead on the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition, explains the significance of this research for understanding global climate change uncertainties. 

In Andean countries, cities and farms are facing a variety of challenges in the water sector due to climate change: growing demand, shrinking supplies, and irregular flooding. Now, water managers are looking to harness natural ecosystems in tandem with Indigenous water management systems to mitigate these stressors.