Environment & Sustainability

Harnessing moisture from air, Northwestern University chemists have developed a simple new method for breaking down plastic waste. The non-toxic, environmentally friendly, solvent-free process first uses an inexpensive catalyst to break apart the bonds in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most common...

Tiny, cold-blooded animals like flies depend on their environment to regulate body temperature, making them ideal “canaries in the coal mine” for gauging the impact of climate change on the behavior and distribution of animal species. Yet, scientists know relatively...

Northwestern researchers leverage industrial waste to store energy The batteries used in our phones, devices and even cars rely on metals like lithium and cobalt, sourced through intensive and invasive mining. As more products begin to depend on battery-based energy storage...

Northwestern’s DOE-funded project will kick off in January 2025 at a farm in downstate Illinois A Northwestern University-led team of interdisciplinary researchers has received $5.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to test the efficacy of enhanced weathering, a...

Coated cells also delivered a solar power conversion efficiency of 26% Northwestern University scientists have developed a new protective coating that significantly extends the life of perovskite solar cells, making them more practical for applications outside the lab. Although perovskite solar cells...

Biodegradable structures could revolutionize energy, information technologies and advanced medicine Step aside hard, rigid materials. There is a new soft, sustainable electroactive material in town — and it’s poised to open new possibilities for medical devices, wearable technology and human-computer interfaces. Using...

Meet Russell Kahn, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2016. What inspired you to pursue study in the American Studies Program? During the Spring of my Freshman year at Northwestern I begged Professor Sarah McFarland Taylor to let me into her American...

Study finds those without central air are most vulnerable to changing climate patterns and warmer nights With Chicago and much of the Midwest facing what may be the hottest days of the summer this week, many are cranking up the air...

Meet Zane Frentress, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2021. What inspired you to pursue study in the Environmental Policy and Culture (EPC) Program? I put together an ad hoc major called “urban sustainability” that was intended to be an interdisciplinary program...

A new catalyst made from an inexpensive, abundant metal and common table sugar has the power to destroy carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. In a new Northwestern University study, the catalyst successfully converted CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), an important building block to...