May 2012
Stanford researchers question whether biofuel is the answer to U.S. energy independence
May 15, 2012
Many of us cringe when we drive by the gas station in the morning and see that, once again, prices have gone up. But it’s not just gas prices.
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Support for climate change action drops, Stanford poll finds
May 08, 2012
Americans' support for government action on global warming remains high but has dropped during the past two years, according to a new survey by Stanford researchers in collaboration with Ipsos Public Affairs.
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April 2012
Cut world population and redistribute resources, expert urges
April 27, 2012
Paul Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies and Senior Fellow at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University and author of the best-selling Population Bomb book in 1968, goes much further than the Royal Society in London which this morning said that physical numbers were as important as the amount of natural resources consumed.
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In Hawaii, 40-square-miles and many tough choices
April 25, 2012
The future of a large chunk of the island of Oahu was at stake when Stanford environmental scientists were called in to lend a helping hand. In the end, the environmental value of the land – not just the commercial value – was considered, and that made all the difference.
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Climate change may create price volatility in the corn market
April 23, 2012
By the time today's elementary schoolers graduate from college, the U.S. corn belt could be forced to move to the Canadian border to escape devastating heat waves brought on by rising global temperatures.
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D.C. Boot Camp: Stanford grad students do basic training in the nation's capital
April 06, 2012
Turning environmental research into world-changing action requires intimate knowledge of how Washington works. Twenty-four Stanford PhD students pounded the pavement to learn more.
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Where the wild winds blow: Stanford engineers use weather models to site offshore wind farms
April 02, 2012
Politics aside, most energy experts agree that cheap, clean, renewable wind energy holds great potential to help the world satisfy energy needs while reducing harmful greenhouse gases. Wind farms placed offshore could play a large role in meeting such challenges, and yet no offshore wind farms exist today in the United States.
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March 2012
Ancient civilizations reveal ways to manage fisheries for sustainability
March 23, 2012
In a study published on March 23 in the journal Fish and Fisheries, a team of marine scientists reconstructed fisheries yields over seven centuries of human habitation in Hawaii and the Florida Keys, the largest coral reef ecosystems in the United States, and evaluated the management strategies associated with periods of sustainability. The results surprised them.
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February 2012
Steven Gorelick elected to National Academy of Engineering
February 16, 2012
Steven Gorelick, the Cyrus F. Tolman Professor in Environmental Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at Stanford Woods Institute , is one of 66 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
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Climate Change: Is the Science "Settled"?
February 14, 2012
"Just because we scientists have Ph.D.s we should not hang up our citizenship at the door of a public meeting." - Dr. Stephen Schneider
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In sub-Saharan Africa, a shorter walk to water saves lives
February 13, 2012
In the fight against child mortality in the developing world, simple things make a big difference. A new study by Stanford researchers published by the journal Environmental Science and Technology shows that decreasing the amount of time families must walk to obtain clean water can help save the lives of young children.
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U.S. Climate Scientists Visit Capitol Hill for Intensive Day of Bridge-Building
February 08, 2012
Climate Science Day on Capitol Hill with Woods Senior Fellow Noah Diffenbaugh.
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Securing public health forever with clean energy
February 07, 2012
Switching from conventional energy resources to wind, water and sunlight is essential for the future of our planet. By Woods Senior Fellow Mark Jacobson.
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January 2012
Extreme heat hurts wheat yields as world warms: study
January 29, 2012
Extreme heat can cause wheat crops to age faster and reduce yields, a U.S.-led study shows, underscoring the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing population as the world warms.
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Debate: Does the World Need Nuclear Energy?
January 12, 2012
Woods Senior Fellow Mark Jacobson makes the Top 25 list of TED Talks on science and technology.
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Water in the West: Is there enough water to go around?
January 05, 2012
Twelve Stanford sophomores spent two weeks rafting through the Grand Canyon, immersed in the issue that will determine the future of the West.
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December 2011
Planting trees may save Costa Rican birds threatened by intensive farming
December 13, 2011
Stanford biology professors Gretchen Daily and Paul Ehrlich established the study a decade ago to address a critical question: how to sustain vital life-support services in farmland. View abstract
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Rosemary Knight: Geophysicist, senate chair, hitchhiking advocate
December 09, 2011
Rosemary Knight, who joined the Stanford faculty in 2000 after teaching for a decade at the University of British Columbia, loved math, physics and chemistry in high school and was elated when she "discovered" geology, a field that combined all three.
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Climate-adapting squid has scientists thrilled, puzzled
December 08, 2011
A mysterious squid that lives along the Pacific coast could be one of the big winners in adapting to climate change. The squid is very large, very fast and very mean, but it's also willing to adapt.
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Scientists subject rocks to hellish conditions to combat global warming
December 06, 2011
A team of Earth scientists at Stanford University is subjecting chunks of rock to hellish conditions in the laboratory – all in the name of curbing climate change.
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Frontiers in Population Biology using Ancient DNA - Elizabeth A. Hadly, Stanford University
December 06, 2011
Advances in Ancient DNA of Populations
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Mapping underground water sources for drip irrigation could change African village life
December 05, 2011
Investments in small-scale irrigation and geophysical mapping will help relieve food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa, Stanford researchers say.
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November 2011
Experts debunk polls claiming fewer Americans believe in climate change
November 29, 2011
Politicians, pundits, and the public have all been told by the media and others that public belief in global warming has dropped sharply. Except that it hasn't, as polling by Stanford, Ipsos, and Reuters make clear.
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Stanford-Cargill partnership addresses food security
November 27, 2011
Stanford’s Center on Food Security and the Environment (FSE) has received a $2 million grant from the Cargill Foundation, a second gift from the company that raises its total contribution to FSE to $5 million over 10 years. FSE has more than doubled in size in five years. Because of its growth and increasing importance of food security issues at Stanford and worldwide, it became an official center in September.
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Dropping ocean oxygen levels concern scientists
November 22, 2011
For several years now scientists have been warning the amount of oxygen in the ocean is dropping. It's a serious problem that may threaten a lot of ocean animals. But there is still a lot to learn about just what it means for the future. Marine biologists in Monterey are studying the impact of the mysterious problem.
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Kofi Annan warns of worldwide hunger, political unrest if climate change persists
November 11, 2011
Blaming leaders in America and abroad for not doing enough to combat climate change, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said continued failure to tackle the problem will result in worldwide hunger, social unrest and political turmoil. “Without action at the global level to address climate change, we will see farmers across Africa – and in many other parts of the world including here in America – forced to leave their land,” the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize winner told an audience at Stanford.
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Journalist talks climate, politics
November 09, 2011
In a presentation titled “Climate Change and the 2012 Election: The New Wedge Issue?” Washington Post journalist Juliet Eilperin spoke at Stanford on Nov. 7 about the intersection of environmentalism and politics in a forum hosted by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. She particularly touched on climate change denial by current Republican presidential candidates.
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Clean Water Act failing in new climate
November 01, 2011
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently gave California some tough love in the form of a ghastly report card on water quality along our coasts and in our rivers and streams: The state’s water pollution seems to have gotten much worse, with the number of polluted water bodies skyrocketing between 2006 and 2010. We can and must learn to use the Clean Water Act, Porter-Cologne Act, AB 32 and other laws more effectively to safeguard the ocean resources we’ve come to depend upon.
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October 2011
Q&A: Stanford's Paul Ehrlich fears the worst for a planet with 7 billion residents
October 26, 2011
Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich still sees runaway population growth as a threat to the planet, but is hopeful that humans can avoid the first catastrophic collapse of a global civilization.
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No Decline in Massachusetts Residents’ Belief in and Concern About Global Warming
October 14, 2011
Jon Krosnick has released survey that found that the proportion of Massachusetts residents who think that global warming has been happening remained extremely high and has not declined during the last year according to a new survey of Massachusetts residents. The percentage of Massachusetts residents who believe that global warming is occurring dipped slightly between July 2010 (84%) and February 2011 (77%), and then returned to 82% as of July 2011.
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Gretchen Daily Wins Prince Albert II Biodiversity Award
October 13, 2011
Gretchen Daily, the Bing Professor in Environmental Science and senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, traveled to Monaco to receive the Biodiversity Award given annually by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The Award includes 40,000 Euro to help support her work.
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Ethanol Policy Major Contributor to Food Price Volatility
October 13, 2011
Stanford food policy economists Rosamond Naylor and Walter Falcon argue in a new paper released in The American Interest that we have entered a new era where agricultural commodity prices are increasingly driven by U.S. biofuel policies. This food and fuel linkage has, and will continue to have, major implications for global food prices and the world’s poor.
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Mountain Lions Caught on Camera at Stanford's Jasper Ridge
October 07, 2011
While there is plenty of evidence of mountain lion activity at Stanford's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve - including the occasional deer carcass - actual sightings of the feline predators are rare. However, footage from motion-sensing cameras placed by Stanford University researchers has captured the activity of these stealthy creatures as they stalk the 1,189-acre preserve, usually after dark.
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What Policy Makers Need to Know about Carbon Capture and Storage
October 05, 2011
Sally Benson, Stanford professor of energy resource engineering and Woods Institute Senior Fellow, speaks to Near Zero about what policy makers need to know about carbon capture and storage.
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September 2011
Three Woods Institute Faculty Receive Grant to Study Environmental Impacts of Solar Plants
September 28, 2011
Stanford Woods Institute Fellows Chris Field, Noah Diffenbaugh and David Lobell have received a grant to study the effects of large solar plants on land and water resources in the American Southwest, with a focus on precipitation impacts, opportunities for integrating agriculture and solar infrastructure in desert regions, and the consequences of climate change and disturbance of soil for dust accumulating on solar panels. This project is funded by Stanford TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy and Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy.
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New 'Decision Guide' on Tools for Marine Spatial Planning
September 22, 2011
The Center for Ocean Solutions has released a "Decision Guide: Selecting Decision Support Tools for Marine Spatial Planning." The guide lays out the functionality of nine decision support tools and how their capabilities mesh with the steps in a typical marine spatial planning process such as gathering data and identifying issues and constraints.
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"Green" Views May Help Win Major Elections
September 16, 2011
Stanford researchers have released two new studies – one of the 2008 presidential election and one of the 2010 congressional elections that examined whether candidates’ statements on climate change translated into real votes. The researchers found that a political candidate’s electoral victory or defeat is influenced by his or her stance on climate change policy.
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Noah Diffenbaugh Discusses Global Temperature Trends as part of The Climate Reality Project
September 15, 2011
Noah Diffenbaugh, a Stanford Woods Institute Center Fellow, participated on a panel on global temperature trends and impacts as part of The Climate Reality Project. Hear Noah and the other experts discuss current temperature trends and observed/projected impacts. (The panel discussion starts at the 42:30 minute mark in the one-hour video.)
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Richard B. Alley Awarded First Stephen Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Communication
September 14, 2011
Penn State scientist Dr. Richard B. Alley who was selected for the first annual Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication. The $10,000 award is given to a natural or social scientist who has made extraordinary scientific contributions and communicated that knowledge to a broad public in a clear and compelling fashion.
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August 2011
Preserving Marine Mammal Species Worldwide
August 30, 2011
Preserving just four percent of the ocean could protect crucial habitat for the vast majority of marine mammal species, from sea otters to blue whales, according to researchers at Stanford University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
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Saving California's Golden Grasslands
August 30, 2011
The natural beauty of Northern California's grasslands is a paradoxical thing. There is little that is natural about it. But in the Bay Area, ranchers and environmentalists are working together to ensure that these "working landscapes" continue to work to provide ecosystem and economic benefits.
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The Endangered Species Act and Federalism
August 12, 2011
A new textbook, "The Endangered Species Act and Federalism: Effective Conservation through Greater State Commitment," examines states' role in enforcing the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The book is edited by Co-Director Buzz Thompson and wildlife consultant Kaush Arha.
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Scientists Must Leave the Ivory Tower, Paul Ehrlich Says
August 11, 2011
Scientists, especially ecologists, have to be more active in explaining the meaning of their research results to the public if human behavior is going to change in time to prevent a planetary catastrophe, says Senior Fellow Paul Ehrlich.
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An Economist for Nature Calculates the Need for More Protection
August 08, 2011
Senior Fellow Gretchen Daily is a pioneer in the growing worldwide effort to protect the environment by quantifying the value of “natural capital” — nature’s goods and services that are fundamental for human life.
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Report to President Urges Protection of Natural Capital
August 05, 2011
Senior Fellow Gretchen Daily and colleagues submitted a special report to President Obama urging government intervention on threats to the nation’s biodiversity and ecosystems.
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Going 'Green' Could Give Republicans an Edge in 2012
August 03, 2011
"Green" is king for many politicians, according to a study by Senior Fellow Jon Krosnick that found a distinct correlation between the political and Earth-friendly realms.
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July 2011
Creative Solutions for Using Natural Systems to Treat Stormwater
July 26, 2011
An interdisciplinary team with the new Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing America's Urban Water Infrastructure is studying how to integrate natural systems such as wetlands into urban water treatment, storage and reuse.
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Re-Inventing Stanford's Water Infrastructure
July 21, 2011
In addition to studying natural systems like wetlands and storm water, researchers and engineers with the NSF Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing America's Urban Water Infrastructure plan to build working prototypes of new wastewater treatment systems at Stanford.
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Stanford to Lead NSF Freshwater Engineering Research Center
July 20, 2011
The National Science Foundation has selected a team from Stanford, UC-Berkeley, Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico State to implement an Engineering Research Center with the goal of re-inventing America's aging and inadequate water infrastructure. Senior Fellow Richard Luthy has been named project leader.
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Steve Schneider’s Climate View
July 19, 2011
July 19 marked the first anniversary of the untimely death of Senior Fellow Steve Schneider, a central figure in the decades-long effort to understand the human influence on climate.
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A Way to Save America's Bees: Buy Free-Range Beef
July 15, 2011
As the insects that pollinate our crops disappear, a team of scientists has learned that they thrive on land grazed by cattle.
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Why whine about wine? Climate change – THAT’s why!
July 15, 2011
Neil Wagner's weekly Science Friday cartoon on Noah Diffenbaugh's research on global warming's impact on premium wine.
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California Groundwater Management Trickles Up From Local Sources
July 07, 2011
When it comes to managing groundwater, the state of California relies on a mixed bag of more than 2,000 local water agencies. But some water districts are moving forward with innovative ideas for conservation, says a report by the Program on Water in the West.
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Wooing Voters (or Not) With a Climate Pitch
July 06, 2011
Presenting a green-minded position on climate change to constituents appears to be beneficial for politicians, according to a new study by Senior Fellow Jon Krosnick.
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June 2011
Being Green Can Help Candidates Win Votes, Study Finds
June 29, 2011
A new study by Senior Fellow Jon Krosnick has found that by taking a “green position” on climate, candidates can gain the votes of some citizens while not alienating others.
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Global Warming's Impact on U.S. Premium Wines
June 29, 2011
Higher temperatures could hurt California and other premium wine-growing regions of the United States in the next 30 years, according to a study led by Center Fellow Noah Diffenbaugh. However, some cooler parts of Oregon and Washington State could see an increase in premium grape-growing acreage.
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Woods Institute Awards 2011 EVP Grants
June 23, 2011
In June, the Woods Institute awarded seven new Environmental Venture Projects (EVP) grants for interdisciplinary research aimed at finding practical solutions promoting global sustainability.
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Tracking Top Marine Predators in a Dynamic Ocean
June 22, 2011
Like the vast African plains, two huge expanses of the North Pacific Ocean are major corridors of life, attracting an array of sharks, seals and other marine predators in predictable seasonal patterns, according to a study co-authored by Senior Fellow Barbara Block.
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Eradicating Childhood Diseases in Rural China
June 16, 2011
In a special series, the Stanford Report profiles Senior Fellow Scott Rozelle's effort to eradicate childhood anemia and intestinal worms in rural China, and introduce computer-assisted learning in Chinese schools.
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Natural Capital: Theory and Practice of Mapping Ecosystem Services
June 15, 2011
Senior Fellow Gretchen Daily and colleagues at the Natural Capital Project have edited an in-depth textbook on natural capital, including a practical toolbox for ecosystem service mapping, modeling, and valuation.
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Effects of Aquaculture Pens on Ocean Quality
June 14, 2011
Wastes and nutrients from fish pens may be altering the character of surrounding ecosystems and potentially posing a hazard to human health, according to research by senior fellows Jeffrey Koseff and Rosamond Naylor. Their work is supported by the Lenfest Ocean Program.
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COS Reels in New Science Director
June 07, 2011
Duke University marine scientist Larry B. Crowder has joined the Center for Ocean Solutions in the newly created position of science director.
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Climate Scientists Forecast Permanently Hotter Summers
June 06, 2011
The tropics and much of the Northern Hemisphere are likely to experience an irreversible rise in summer temperatures within the next 20 to 60 years if atmospheric greenhouse gases continue to increase, according to a study by Center Fellow Noah Diffenbaugh.
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Native Ants Use Chemical Weapon to Turn Back Invaders
June 06, 2011
As Argentine ants spread across the globe, no native species seemed able to withstand their onslaught. That is until a group of Stanford undergraduates in Senior Fellow Deborah Gordon's lab discovered that the California winter ant uses chemical warfare to combat the Argentine tide.
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How Can We Put a Value on Ecosystem Services?
June 04, 2011
The Natural Capital Project is working on specific tools to "to integrate scientific and economic understanding of natural assets into real land-use and investment decisions."
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Center for Ocean Solutions Releases Decision Guide for Marine Spatial Planning
June 04, 2011
Researchers at the Center for Ocean Solutions have published an online guide to "decision support tools" that promote efficient use of marine space and resources.
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Farmer Networks Hold Key to Agricultural Innovation in Developing Countries
June 02, 2011
New technologies can improve agricultural sustainability in developing countries, but only with the engagement of local farmers and the social and economic networks they depend on, according to a study co-authored by Senior Fellow Pamela Matson.
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Video: Michael Wara Says Chevy Carbon Offset Claim 'Lacks Credibility'
June 01, 2011
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Center Fellow Michael Wara discusses Chevrolet's plan to buy credits for 45,783 metric tons of CO2 emissions savings from an insulation program that is almost entirely funded by taxpayers.
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