News

How We Measure Biodiversity Can Have Profound Impacts on Land-Use
June 28, 2021
Author
Written by Liana Wait, School of Public and International Affairs

The world’s human population is expanding, which means even more agricultural land will be needed to provide food for this growing population. However, choosing which areas to convert is difficult and depends on agricultural and environmental priorities, which can vary widely.

Americans are Unaware of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technology, According to a New Study
June 15, 2021
Author
Written by Molly Seltzer, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Capturing carbon at the smokestack is a promising way to combat climate change, but the majority of Americans are unfamiliar with the technology, according to a new study from Princeton University.

“It’s a signal that more communication is necessary to the general public,” said Elke Weber, the senior author of the study, who is the Gerhard R…

A Better Understanding of “Wet Markets” is Key to Safeguarding Human Health, Biodiversity
June 10, 2021
Author
Written by B. Rose Huber, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Great uncertainty surrounds the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Early on, some suggested a link between COVID-19 and a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Other theories are now circulating, though the origins of the virus are still unknown.

In response, governments have pushed for the closing of so-called “wet markets” around the world, but this…

Keeping More Ammonium in Soil Could Decrease Pollution, Boost Crops
May 26, 2021
Author
Written by Liana Wait, School of Public and International Affairs
Modern-day agriculture faces two major dilemmas: how to produce enough food to feed the growing human population and how to minimize environmental damage associated with intensive agriculture. Keeping more nitrogen in soil as ammonium may be one key way to address both challenges, according to 
Congratulations to our 2021 STEP Graduates!
May 12, 2021

This year, we are thrilled to celebrate the graduation of 18 students.

Cutting Methane Emissions Quickly Could Slow Climate Warming Rate by 30%
April 27, 2021
Author
Written by Environmental Defense Fund (adapted)
New analysis highlights dramatic benefit of swift action on a potent greenhouse gas, underscores missed opportunity if solutions are slow or delayed

recently published paper in the journal Environmental Research Letters shows that a rapid, full-scale effort…

In Calculating the Social Cost of Methane, Equity Matters
April 22, 2021
Author
Written by Julie Chao, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Keely Swan, C-PREE

New study finds the economic harms of methane emissions can vary greatly by region.

East Asian Development Banks are Now Largest Public Financiers of Global Power Sector, Particularly Coal
April 1, 2021
Author
Written by Keely Swan and Sean Miller

While the World Bank and other multilateral development banks are increasingly investing in renewable technologies and phasing out coal power financing, several of the world’s largest national-level funders — East Asian development finance institutions — are among the last public financiers supporting coal power plants.

Climate Change “Winners” May Owe Financial Compensation to Polluters
March 2, 2021
Author
Written by Keely Swan, Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

Climate change is generally portrayed as an environmental and societal threat with entirely negative consequences. However, some sectors of the global economy may actually end up benefiting.

Social and Political Factors, Not Just Technical Feasibility, Determine Success of Coastal Resilience Projects
Feb. 19, 2021
Author
Written by Keely Swan, Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment

With coastal flooding events expected to become more frequent in coming decades due to climate change, climate adaptation public works, such as storm surge barriers and levees, could be a key element in protecting coastal communities from storm damages and sea-level rise. And yet, these kinds of large-scale projects have been slow to move from the drawing board to breaking ground.