Sustainability & Environment

A multi-institutional research initiative has been awarded $12 million over five years by the U.S. National Science Foundation for its “potential to revolutionize computing and make significant impacts in reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of computers.”

A large study led by Harvard Chan School researchers found that people who closely followed the Planetary Health Diet—which emphasizes minimally processed whole grains and vegetables but allows for some meat and dairy—significantly lowered their risk of premature death while also reducing their carbon footprint.

A new gift from Dan Emmett JD ’64 and the Emmett Foundation will expand and enhance Harvard Law School’s work in environmental law and create a first-of-its-kind environmental law moot court.

Can sea level rise be slowed? A new Harvard project called Sea Level Investigation and Management (SLIM), made possible by a generous gift from Cornelius “Neil” Prior Jr. LLB ’62, aims to find out.

By studying ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics, Arnold Arboretum faculty fellow Benton Taylor aims to find out if plants will absorb enough carbon in the future to offset human activity.

Inspired by how some animals use their skin to regulate body temperature, the lab of Harvard chemistry professor Joanna Aizenberg is developing ways to use a building’s exterior to control indoor climates.

The Climate Change and Planetary Health concentration will help students at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health understand the consequences of the planetary health crisis, including the effects on food, water, air, extreme weather events, heat, migration, and political stability and their subsequent impacts on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and mental health.

Harvard assistant professor and physician Garaub Basu is collaborating with students, clinicians, and leaders to embed climate change into medical curricula and continuing medical education.

Air pollution from gas and propane stoves has caused about 50,000 current cases of childhood asthma nationwide, and people living in smaller homes are more likely to be affected, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard and Stanford Universities.

For his dissertation, Thomas Lee AB ’19, PhD ’24 examined how historical microseisms—faint earth tremors recorded when storm waves crash onshore—might help predict future hurricanes.