Winds of Change
CAS scientists look to coral reefs for how Pacific gusts influence global climate Diane Thompson extracting a core from a live Porites coral colony at Kiritimati in 2012. Photo by Elizabeth Wiggins. Winds in the tropical Pacific are poorly characterized, yet affect climate worldwide Scientists use the chemical fingerprint of winds captured in coral to re-create wind […]
BU Trustees Approve Aggressive Climate Action Plan
Effort prepares University for global temperature rise The BU Climate Action Plan adopted by the BU Board of Trustees recommends new building efficiencies, changes to renewable energy sources, and ways to make climate change a bigger part of the University’s curriculum and research. Illustration by Rubén D. Cerón Guevara (MET’19) and BU Metropolitan College Professor […]
CAS Scientists Develop ACES to Monitor Greenhouse-Gas Emissions
Tool will give cities data needed to reduce concentrations of carbon dioxide Lucy Hutyra and Conor Gately have developed a new tool called ACES, which provides fine-resolution data on CO2 emissions. A key to climate change regulation, says Hutyra, is monitoring emissions “in a robust, transparent, and reproducible way.” Photo by Cydney Scott. In June […]
Can Boston Be a Green City by 2050?
CAS, Questrom experts contracted by Hub to help cut carbon emissions to zero In 2007, Boston joined cities around the globe in the 80×50 pledge—a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. In 2016 that was changed to 100 percent. BU is helping. Photo by Oleksandr Dibrova. By the middle of the […]
NSF Awards $3 Million for Research Traineeship Grant
Will prepare a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists to tackle urban environmental problems Boston University faculty Lucy Hutyra (from left), Pamela Templer, and Jonathan Levy are leading an NSF Research Traineeship program aimed at providing graduate students the technical, policy, and communications skills needed to help cities address multidimensional environmental and public health issues. Photo […]
Yes, Harvey Could Happen Here
CAS climate expert Anthony Janetos on the causes, effects of extreme weather Harvey made landfall for a second time, striking southwest Louisiana early Wednesday. Moss Bluff, La., residents (above) rescue those stranded and retrieve items from flooded homes on Tuesday, August 29. Photo by Rick Hickman/American Press via AP. In the last week, Tropical Storm […]
Fighting Tick-Borne Disease with Computer Science
BU scientists on team building predictive tool to keep insects in check BU ecologists Tempest McCabe (GRS’21) and Michael Dietze develop computational tools to study the complex interactions between plants, animals, and climate. They want to find ways to predict ecological changes, such as fluctuations in tick populations, which could affect human health. Photo by […]
The High Cost of Summer Energy Price Spikes
Cranking up the AC during peak electric hours will raise your electricity bill Forecast for the future: hotter summers, more peak power consumption, and higher electricity bills. Photo by Dan Logan/iStock. On one of the hottest days on record in recent Massachusetts history—August 2, 2006—the mercury hit 37 degrees Celsius (about 99 degrees Fahrenheit), with […]
School of Law Project Earns Gold LEED Certification
The School of Law construction and renovation project completed in 2015 earned gold status in its LEED Certification Review, a ratings system designed to encourage sustainable design. Photo by Melissa Ostrow. The BU School of Law makeover won plaudits from students and faculty for its vibrant design and state-of-the art-classrooms and moot courtroom when it […]
Zika: The Next Pandemic
SPH professor concerned about virus, but also “prepared to be alarmed” The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue, chikungunya, and zika. On February 1, 2016, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared Zika virus “a public health emergency of international concern.” Chan’s statement said the 2016 outbreak is an “extraordinary event” and […]