Past News: 2016
Stanford Law Professors Deborah Sivas and Michael Wara, both environmental law experts, discuss the future of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Scott Pruitt, who has questioned climate change and describes himself as...
By Sharon Driscoll,
Finding a Way Forward on Climate Change »
Top State Department climate change official expresses cautious optimism for progress under incoming President Donald Trump.
By Rob Jordan,
Unexamined Risks from Tar Sands Oil May Threaten Oceans »
A lack of publicly available information about the chemical composition of fuel mined from tar sands hampers efforts to safeguard marine habitats. A new analysis recommends that officials gain a better understanding of the fuel’s...
By Rob Jordan,
Starfish Larvae Create Complex Water Whorls to Eat and Run »
Tiny starfish larvae employ a complex and previously unknown survival mechanism involving whorls of water that either bring food to them or speed them away to better feeding grounds.
By Tom Abate,
Methane from Food Production: Climate Change Wildcard »
Reports co-authored by Stanford Earth scientist show concentrations of methane approaching an internationally recognized worst-case scenario and highlight opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and...
By Rob Jordan,
Stanford researchers will join colleagues from around the U.S. at the largest Earth and space science meeting in the world.
Syrian Crisis Altered Region’s Land and Water Resources »
Using remote sensing tools to uncover the environmental impacts of war, researchers introduce novel approaches for hard-to-reach areas.
By Danielle Torrent Tucker,
Stanford Unveils Innovative Solar Generating Station »
Leading the way in sustainability and innovative green technologies, Stanford celebrated the opening of the Stanford Solar Generating Station in Kern County, Calif. The station will provide more than 50 percent of Stanford’s...
By Taylor Kubota,
Standing Rock: Legal and Environmental Challenges »
Protestors against the Dakota Access Pipeline have raised legal and environmental challenges against the pipeline’s construction. Stanford experts explain the current legal status of the pipeline and discuss environmental implications.
By Devon Ryan,
What California can Learn from Other Southwest States on Managing Groundwater »
Researchers at Stanford and Melbourne University looked at groundwater permitting regimes in southwestern states that could hold important lessons for local agencies in the implementation of California’s new groundwater law, the...
By Devon Ryan,
Modeling Groundwater: Key Step for Implementing CA Water Law »
A new report recommends a framework for developing groundwater models, critical tools for long-term water management planning, under California’s ambitious groundwater management law.
By Devon Ryan,
MUIR Fellow Named Rhodes Scholar »
Senior environmental systems engineering major Meghan Shea will pursue a master’s degree in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance at the University of Oxford as one of 32 Americans chosen for a Rhodes Scholarship.
By Kate Chesley,
People With Ebola May Not Always Show Symptoms »
Research confirms previous suspicions that Ebola virus does not uniformly cause severe disease, and that people may be infected without showing signs of illness, and suggests the epidemic was more widespread than previously believed.
By Ruthann Richter,
New Ways to Identify and Fix Methane-Emitting Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells »
New research finds far more abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania than previously thought and provides a framework for identifying wells across the United States and globally that are the worst methane leakers.
By Ker Than,
Climate Change Survival Story: Kelp »
In a global survey of kelp forests, scientists found that some populations are remaining stable or increasing despite global climate change in part due to local management of stressors such as pollution, fishing and coastal...
By Rob Jordan,
How Will the Election Affect Environmental Policy? »
Stanford energy and environmental policy scholars suggest what a Donald Trump presidency could mean for such issues as U.S. participation in international agreements, environmental regulation and the Keystone Pipeline.
By Rob Jordan,
How Can the World Manage a Historic Climate Agreement? »
Stanford climate scientist Katharine Mach comments on opportunities and obstacles for advancing the Paris Agreement, an ambitious global climate pact that recently went into force.
By Rob Jordan,
New Glimpse of Melting Under Antarctic Glaciers »
The amount of warm ocean water penetrating the undersides of glaciers in West Antarctica and melting them from below has increased significantly since the mid-2000s.
Study Finds flaw in Global Effort to Mitigate Carbon Emissions »
International mechanisms in which companies earn valuable credits for offsetting greenhouse gas output are subject to inaccurate self-reporting and need third-party monitoring, according to researchers who highlight a case study in...
By Rob Jordan,
"Before the Flood" Screening at Stanford University »
The screening of Leonardo DiCaprio's new documentary on global climate change included a panel discussion featuring the film's director, Fisher Stevens.
By Devon Ryan,