Rules to boost fuel economy for passenger vehicles will do more good than harm, new study shows
Findings by USC and other universities contradict claims by the Trump administration, which aims to roll back fuel economy standards.
Rain’s no relief to fire-ravaged regions, but why?
USC Earth sciences expert Joshua West explains why weeks of wet weather across the state could double the trouble for residents in the steep hills and mountainsides scorched by the recent wildfires.
USC research could help protect children’s health in the Imperial Valley
Environmental experts are leading a study on the shrinking Salton Sea and its possible effect on children’s respiratory health.
Channel Island foxes make a comeback
Researchers at USC Dornsife’s Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies learn more about the survival of the dwarf species.
Southern California’s coast emerges as a toxic algae hot spot
New research by USC scientists shows domoic acid from ocean algae is a chronic problem with natural and man-made origins.
$11 million National Institute on Aging grant supports research on air pollution and Alzheimer’s
Research will address the neglected role of environmental neurotoxins in the development of Alzheimer’s.
Rare DNA from ocean water leads to microbiology breakthrough
USC grad student brings back dynamic data from one of the world’s most sophisticated research vessels, allowing scientists to grow organisms that have never been found in nature.
What we think about death and funerals is changing
Dying inspires USC Price Professor David Sloane, a planner who comes from a long line of cemetery superintendents.
Want to use solar, but you rent an apartment? You can still go green
The first step is to go after the “low-hanging” fruit of carbon reduction: energy efficiency.
Is it hard to breathe in your corner of Los Angeles County?
Neighborhood by neighborhood, a USC project pinpoints areas with cleaner or more-polluted air.
How cellphones are killing gorillas, and other threats you didn’t know were endangering great apes
USC researchers such as primate expert Craig Stanford are working to understand how to better protect these animals, who could be gone in just 100 years.
Plant-inspired material could help clean up oil spills
USC scientists seek solutions to man-made disasters that have devastating environmental and economic consequences.
Who should be held responsible for the Aliso Canyon gas leak?
SoCalGas’s corporate dysfunction and a lack of oversight for underground gas storage facilities are responsible for the largest methane gas leak in American history, USC-led study finds.
USC wins Pac-12 Zero Waste Competition for second year
The competition recognizes the university that diverted the most waste from the landfill at select games, as well as innovation in sustainability education.
As L.A. soaks, USC Village puts stormwater collection system to use
Hardly a drop is wasted as elaborate system gathers runoff, removing debris and contaminants in the process.
Badly behaved teens? Air pollution could be to blame
Tiny, toxic particles creep into developing brains, cause inflammation and may damage brain pathways responsible for emotion and decisions, USC researcher finds.
The robot that detects underground water leaks
USC researchers develop an inexpensive device that uses sensors to collect data meters below the ground.
Is underground transit bad for your health?
USC researchers measure particulate matter along popular L.A. routes, finding that some exposed passengers to greater concentrations of carcinogens.
Hiking class gets USC college students to tap benefits of ‘forest bathing’
In an age of smartphones and sedentary living, students aim to appreciate stillness, reconnect with the outdoors, get fit and learn to hike — only a few miles from urban Los Angeles.
Recent grad turns food waste into big opportunity for sustainable business
Trips to trendy juice bars help Mork Family Scholar realize how fruit and veggies end up in the trash.
Environmental activist at USC heads a global group focusing on climate change
Kayla Soren’s International Student Environmental Coalition includes young people from 30 countries who raise awareness about our planet.
Two huge storms in two weeks — but are they entirely ‘natural disasters’?
People didn’t cause Harvey or Irma directly, but where and how we live affects the level of devastation left behind.
Rusting pyrite — ‘fool’s gold’ — in glaciers a sign of increased carbon
Widely varying CO2 levels are nature’s way of self-regulating against future runaway glaciation, USC researchers say.
What are our social and psychological responses to environmental disasters?
Experts take part in a Grand Challenges initiative and examine situations on a much larger scale.