USC biologists devise new way to track carbon buildup in the ocean
The universal accounting method measures how carbon-based matter accumulates in the ocean and can also model past conditions to predict what may be in store for the warming Earth.
USC and the city of L.A. launch urban forest project on the Eastside
A consortium of experts and students will help determine which communities would benefit the most from more trees. It’s part of a widening environmental partnership between the city and the university.
Wetlands have saved Australia $27 billion in storm damage over the past five decades
Tropical storms have caused about $3 billion in damage in Australia over 50 years — a figure that would have been 10 times larger if not for coastal wetlands, a USC researcher and colleague found.
Back to our roots: Native plants are growing again at USC, thanks to student-led effort
After sustainability-minded students replaced turf with native species, a university partnership flowered. Now, more water-sipping indigenous plants are getting started at test plots around campus.
Joe Árvai aims to grow USC’s Wrigley Institute into a true sustainability hub
The new director of USC’s environmental research institute wants to leverage all of USC Dornsife’s unique strengths to help ensure a more livable future.
Metals from Chinese coal plants are ending up in the Pacific Ocean, with uncertain consequences
Though marine life may benefit from the influx of iron, USC scientists reinforce that the pollution from burning coal will have an adverse effect on human health.
From L.A. to Taiwan, students hunt down insects to better understand ecology
The pandemic didn’t stop the Trojans in Julie Hopper’s ecology class from catching and studying insects from yards and fields all around the world.
Effects of West Coast wildfires go beyond evacuations and air quality
USC experts explain why the worst wildfires in California’s history are just a preview of climate change’s eventual impact on our everyday lives.
Undergrad turns to both science and policy to take on climate change
Before she even became a Trojan, Isabella O’Brien turned discarded oyster, clam and mussel shells into a means to deacidify ocean and lake waters.
Predicting drought in the American West just got much more difficult
A new, USC-led study of more than 1,000 years of North American droughts and global conditions found that forecasting a lack of precipitation is rarely straightforward.
Climate change could make toxic algal blooms even more deadly
Research funded by USC Sea Grant has found that these increasingly toxic blooms can poison marine mammals and contaminate seafood.
Two new studies explore how pollution affects the brain
USC researchers are investigating the impact of fine particle pollution on child brain growth and in older women who aren’t eating enough fish.
USC launches new sustainability research initiative
The initiative’s first three projects will focus on major environmental concerns in Southern California: water management, air pollution and testing for nutrients in soil.
Living near natural gas flaring poses health risks for pregnant women and babies
USC researchers found that exposure to flaring was associated with 50% higher odds of preterm birth.
Childhood obesity linked to smoking, air pollution and other environmental factors
A first-of-its-kind USC study found that factors like secondhand smoke and a lack of exercise were associated with a higher BMI during childhood.
To be more sustainable, this USC student starts with the shirt on her back
Jasmine Sears plans to use her degree in environmental studies to help the fashion industry do more to protect the planet.
USC goes virtual for Earth Day with lineup of online sustainability activities
What is the planet telling us with climate change? How is USC striving for a greener future? Get answers during the university’s online Earth Day celebration.
Environmental science major sows seeds of advocacy among Trojans
Soon-to-be-graduating USC senior Claire Mauss has transformed the Environmental Student Assembly into an organization that advocates for sustainable change on campus.
USC researchers are creating the cheaper, cleaner fuels of the future
Trojan scientists are raiding deep fryers, developing alternative crops and turning to kelp in their quest to create renewable biofuels.
Composting is the next sustainability step for USC residential living
Collection bins are being installed at numerous residential colleges, with the goal of making composting easy for students.
Through solar power and zero waste, Galen Center shoots for sustainability
The USC athletics arena looks to leap forward with 1,500 solar modules on the roof, more than 3,000 LED light bulbs and a commitment to waste diversion starting with a “green game” on Saturday.
By asking players to revitalize a dying Earth, this video game aims to raise environmental awareness
A USC Dornsife environmental studies professor and two USC student game designers believe that their game Plasticity could inspire people to take sustainable action.
Polluted river sparks first-gen student’s dreams of environmental change
Juan Pablo de los Rios grew up on both the Mexican and American sides of the Rio Grande, which became a dumping ground for toxic waste. As a chemistry grad student at USC Dornsife, he hopes to one day clean that river and others like it.
USC 2019 | Research that makes a difference in health, the environment and more
✌ Year in review: USC scientists are serious about changing the world. Take a look at some of this year’s discoveries that are already positively affecting people’s lives.