Industrial Ecology & Urban Planning

Finding a greener 'end of life’ for wood

When considering the best end-of-life (i.e. disposal) options for construction and demolition wood, there are three categories to consider — recycling, burying, or burning. Life cycle analysis gives insight into the least environmentally harmful and costly end-of-life category.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Cait Chiquelin

Designing safer chemicals

More than 83 percent of chemicals have no safety information. Most businesses don’t design them for safety, and the government doesn’t test most of them for safety. Yet thousands of chemicals are in our water and soil, potentially causing human harm and costing billions to cleanup. How can we tell if new chemicals will cause damage to humans before they are made?
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Matthew Moroney

Shared solar: The next big thing in renewable energy

The U.S. solar market is rapidly growing, but a number of policy and economic barriers remain. Community solar projects offer a unique solution. 

Monday, April 10, 2017
Krisztina Pjeczka

Wet feet? Climate change might just be sneaking up on you

In a recent study, a team of scientists was able to show how places like Norfolk, Va. will experience more flooding and coastal erosion than ever before — not only during hurricanes like Sandy and Isabel, but more frequently during typical rain and wind events.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Christina Stone

Can sheep's wool keep buildings warm, too?

Researchers have had initial success using waste wool and recycled polyester fibers (RPET) as an environmentally-friendly alternative for building insulation, a recent study finds.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Olga Kachook
Editor's Choice Finalist

Can states' welfare programs be indicators of environmental injustices?

A recent study found correlations between state welfare programs and enforcement of environmental regulations. The author contends that the generousness of welfare programs is a signifier for whether African Americans are viewed as "deserving" of government assistance and benefits, attitudes that translate to better or worse monitoring of polluting facilities and enforcement of environmental regulations.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Olivia Pearman

Research roadmap towards justice in climate change adaptation planning

Climate change presents an unequal threat to the most marginalized groups of society, which current urban adaptation plans have not adequately addressed. Researchers have proposed a research roadmap toward an adaptation planning framework that is more equitable and sustainable.

Thursday, October 20, 2016
Alex Co

Wastewater in Delhi: Not all viewpoints are equal

In Delhi, scientists, municipal workers, and people living in unauthorized settlements have vastly different understandings of the city's wastewater challenges. Using an urban political ecology lens, a new case study links problems of wastewater with the way legitimacy is awarded to competing systems of knowledge in the city.

Thursday, October 13, 2016
Yanin Kramsky

Cool-green tech: Using plants as sunglasses for roofs

A team of engineers in Italy examined the two leading energy-efficient roof technologies: green roofs and cool roofs. Finding gaps in both technologies, they devised a way to combine them for even better efficiency, reducing the amount of energy needed to cool buildings.

Thursday, September 8, 2016
Christina Stone

When it comes to efficiency of green buildings, size matters

A recent study in Germany shows that large housing companies refurbish apartment buildings at a much higher level of energy efficiency than private landlords do

Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Shi Yi
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