Todd Vachon, an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author of a new study that explores how different groups—like labor unions, environmental advocates, and community organizations—can work together to create fair and effective climate policies. The study, published in Environmental Politics, compares two major efforts in Washington State and Colorado to build […]
Scientists Uncover DNA Secrets to Bolster Corn Crop Traits
A team that includes Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists has unlocked some of the secrets of corn DNA, revealing how specific sections of genetic material control vital traits such as plant architecture and pest resistance. The discovery could enable scientists to use new technologies to improve corn, making it more resilient and productive, the scientists said. […]
Helping People Spot Greenwashing: A New Tool to Tell Truth from Hype
Greenwashing—when companies make themselves look more eco-friendly than they really are—is becoming a serious problem as the world tries to tackle climate change. A new study helps people understand when a company is being honest about going green and when it’s just using “green” talk to distract or mislead. The study, published in Ecology and […]
RCE Agents Honored and Played Key Roles in NACAA’s 2025 Annual Meeting
The 110th National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference was held from June 29 to July 2 in Billings, Montana, with more than 1,000 Extension agents and staff in attendance. NACAA, whose mission is to further the professional improvement of Extension agents, fosters communication and cooperation among all Extension. […]
Clams Grew Slower in Warmer Ancient Seas, Study Finds
A new study reveals that warmer oceans thousands of years ago slowed the growth of an important clam species in the Adriatic Sea—giving us a glimpse into how marine life might react to future climate change. Fiorella Prada, assistant professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy […]
Rising Seas, Salty Rivers: A Growing Threat to Our Water Supplies
As the planet warms, salt is sneaking into the places we least expect it—our rivers. A new study warns that salt contamination of drinking water in tidal rivers is becoming a serious and global problem. Robert Chant, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, […]
Researchers Find Climate Change Threatens Global Food Supply
Climate change is putting the global food system at risk, even as farmers try to adapt, according to a study conducted by a Rutgers-New Brunswick professor and other researchers in a national collaboration. Publishing their findings in Nature, the researchers found that every 1-degree Celsius increase in global mean surface temperature (about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) could reduce […]
Ocean Education Tools Made by and for Oceanography Professors
A network of undergraduate professors is creating a new edition of an open-source online laboratory manual, full of free educational data activities for anyone to use in undergraduate or graduate oceanography classes. Developed by the Ocean Data Labs project, each chapter of the online lab manual focuses on different oceanographic concepts typically taught in an […]
Plant Breeders Stage a Dogwood Revolution, Creating Hardy Varieties That Sparkle
With the advent of Memorial Day, the treescape in the Northeast has turned mostly green again, the ornamentals’ early spring flowers long dried and scattered. But there’s an exception. The vivid pink Scarlet Fire® dogwood tree, produced through decades of research by Rutgers University-New Brunswick plant breeders, is just starting to bloom. Introduced to consumers […]
Rutgers Botanist Builds Bridge Between Science and Art in MoMA Exhibit on Hilma af Klint
A year ago, Rutgers botanist Lena Struwe received a call from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York asking her to participate in a research collaboration investigating a set of recently discovered botanical drawings by Hilma af Klint, the esteemed early 20th century artist from Sweden, whose oversized abstract paintings were hidden for […]
