Passion for the planet: A new generation of environmental stewards starts here
Environment & Sustainability
Alumni Spotlight Q&A: Amos Pomp ’20
Meet Amos Pomp, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2020, and received a major in the American Studies Program and minor in the Environmental Policy and Culture (EPC) Program. What inspired you to pursue study in the Environmental Policy and Culture (EPC) Program? When...
Alumni Spotlight Q&A: Gabby Plotkin ’21
Meet Gabby Plotkin, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2021. Plotkin received a major from the Department of History with a certificate in civic engagement, and a minor from the Environmental Policy and Culture (EPC) Program. What inspired you to pursue...
An estimated 1.2 billion people experienced water insecurity in the prior year
Results of a global poll on water experiences will be made public on World Water Day As populations around the world grapple with water security challenges that threaten lives, livelihoods and political stability, this year’s World Water Day on March 22 highlights the...
Society & Policy / Alumni & Students / Faculty / Research / Science & Technology / Social Impact / Culture
Maple Syrup and climate change: Students learn about the syrup industry and its impact on the environment, and Native American and non-Native communities
Scientists look to create a clearer picture of what happens when you combine climate change with urban environments Climate change could have an impact on an important part of the day — breakfast. As a result of fewer trees, reduced tree health...
Society & Policy / Alumni & Students / Arts & Humanities / Faculty / Research / Social Impact / AI & Data
Using data for social good: Faculty empower students to use data to uplift community organizations
Northwestern University is building students’ data literacy while providing unique experiential learning opportunities to drive social good. Launched in September 2021 and powered by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Metropolitan Chicago Data-Science Corps (MCDC) empowers undergraduate students from...
Durable plastic pollution easily, cleanly degrades with new catalyst
Fishing nets, carpet, clothing break down without leaving harmful byproducts behind Many people are familiar with the haunting images of wildlife — including sea turtles, dolphins and seals — tangled in abandoned fishing nets. The main issue behind Nylon-6, the plastic inside...
Minimalist or maximalist? The life of a microbe a mile underground
Former goldmine provides a portal to microbial life deep into the Earth’s crust If you added up all the microbes living deep below Earth’s surface, the amount of biomass would outweigh all life within our oceans. But because this abundant life is...
Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record
Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different issues Northwestern University researchers have raised the standards again for perovskite solar cells with a new development that helped the emerging technology hit new records for efficiency. The findings, published in...
Listen to Iceland’s recent seismic activity
Seismologist: ‘The activity is formidable, exciting and scary’ As seismic activity intensifies ahead of an impending eruption of a fissure near Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano, the island’s Reykjanes Peninsula is experiencing hundreds of earthquakes per day. Now, listeners can follow along through Northwestern...
Greenland’s glacier retreat rate has doubled over past two decades
The new findings are ubiquitous, even among Earth’s northernmost glaciers Greenland’s thousands of peripheral glaciers have entered a new and widespread state of rapid retreat, a Northwestern University and University of Copenhagen study has found. To piece together the magnitude of glacier...