About 3.3 million years ago, during a period called the Pliocene epoch when Earth’s atmosphere contained CO₂ levels similar to today’s, a short but intense cooling event occurred that scientists call Marine Isotope Stage M2. Understanding what happened during this 25,000-year period matters today because it reveals how sensitive ice sheets are to changes in […]
Why Energy Efficiency Alone Won’t Solve Our Climate Problems
When countries make plans to fight climate change, they often focus heavily on energy efficiency—making buildings, appliances, and vehicles use less energy. But a new study suggests this approach might be missing the bigger picture. Affiliates of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, Clinton Andrews, Distinguished Professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public […]
Empowering Young Innovators to Lead the Way to a Sustainable Future
What if the key to solving our planet’s biggest challenges lies with young people? A new study shows that empowering youth to develop innovative solutions could accelerate progress toward global sustainability goals—but only if we give them the right support and opportunities. Wendy Purcell, professor at Rutgers School of Public Health and affiliate of the Rutgers […]
Turning Liquid Fuel into Clean Energy: A New Cobalt Catalyst Could Help Power the Future
A new study has found a better way to turn a common liquid chemical into clean energy, and it could help us move away from fossil fuels. Kate Waldie, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University and an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author on […]
Scientists Map Genome of Hybrid Oyster to Advance Sustainable Aquaculture
Oysters are one of the world’s most important seafood products, with farms producing about seven million metric tons each year. Now, researchers have unlocked the complete genetic code of a special hybrid oyster, providing a valuable tool that could help improve how these shellfish are farmed. The study, published in Scientific Data, presents the first […]
Large Ice Sheets Existed Much Earlier Than Scientists Thought
Scientists have long reconstructed the extent of ancient ice sheets by analyzing chemical signatures in seafloor sediments. The traditional view held that the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets started small about 3 million years ago and gradually grew larger over time, reaching their maximum extent only in the last 800,000 years. This progression seemed to explain […]
Ocean Currents Act Like Underwater Highways, Delivering Food to Antarctic Wildlife
In Antarctica’s frigid waters, tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill are the foundation of the entire ocean food web, feeding everything from penguins to whales. But how do these krill—and the microscopic plants they eat—end up in the right place at the right time? A new study reveals that ocean currents act like invisible highways, concentrating […]
Meltwater Pools on Greenland’s Ice Are Speeding Up Melting More Than Expected
Thousands of small pools and streams of melted water sitting on top of Greenland’s massive ice sheet are absorbing more heat from the sun than scientists previously realized, according to new research. This discovery means the ice sheet could be melting faster than current models predict, which has important implications for rising sea levels. Åsa […]
Scientists Meet in Cape Town to Plan Future Climate Intervention Research
Scientists around the world are studying different ways we might respond to climate change, including controversial approaches called solar radiation modification (SRM), which aims to reflect some of the sun’s energy back to space to cool the Earth. To better understand how these approaches might work, researchers need to run complex computer simulations using climate […]
Using AI to Better Monitor Rising Seas and Flood Risks
Coastal communities are on the frontlines of climate change. Rising seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding put homes, infrastructure, and lives at risk, especially social and economically vulnerable communities, such as Puerto Rico. A new study published in Scientific Reports introduces an innovative, AI-powered framework to track and analyze coastal water levels in places […]
