Sustainability is a strategic initiative in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Below are the most current stories showcasing our college's sustainability efforts.
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The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Sustainability Council is pleased to announce the 4th annual request for proposals to an EMS Sustainability Fund for research and innovation. The aim of the fund is to support activities that reduce or offset the carbon and overall environmental footprint of the College, and thereby accomplish the same for the University and society as a whole.
Project topics
Some examples of potential projects may range from 1) CAUSE-like classes to guide students in providing carbon and energy accounting to groups who wish to minimize emissions and/or increase energy use efficiency, and help them achieve their goal; to 2) research in solar cells, grid stability, battery technology, carbon capture, storage and sequestration, and many other topics not listed here; to 3) changes in operations and infrastructure that lead to lowered emissions and/or greater energy and resource use efficiencies. An outreach component should be considered, at minimum to build a presence on the EMS Sustainability website.
How to apply
We request one-page proposals that describe the proposed activity, lead and co-leads of the activity, and a single-value budget. We anticipate funding on the order of 3-5 proposals each in the $7000 - $10,000 range though smaller and larger requests will be considered including the possibility of funding a single visionary and ambitious project. Highly ranked proposals may be required to provide a more detailed budget. Proposals that act or build on EMS Sustainability Goals will be prioritized. Please submit your proposals to Tim White, EMS Sustainability Officer (tsw113@psu.edu) by 5 p.m. on February 9, 2024. Decisions will be made prior to spring break 2024.
02/12/2024
To solar or not to solar? While a stable and predictable profit is an important factor to Pennsylvania farmers considering leasing out their land for solar energy development, it’s not enough on its own, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers
01/30/2024
Melissa Allen-Dumas, research scientist in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will give a talk, titled “Urban Morphological Feature Inputs in Numerical Weather Predictions,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus.
01/29/2024
With goals of educating students about sustainability and creating a more sustainable campus environment, the Student Sustainability Council in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) is developing a new museum series highlighting sustainability efforts taking place in the college.
01/03/2024
The latest episode of Growing Impact discusses how climate change and overuse of the Colorado River have significantly decreased the volume of the fifth largest river in the U.S.
12/12/2023
As part of the process of establishing a university-wide program in sustainability, Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Lara Fowler, chief sustainability officer and director of Penn State Sustainability, will be hosting two virtual discussions for interested faculty to learn more about the opportunity.
12/08/2023
Jamil Bey, who graduated with both his master’s degree and doctorate in geography from Penn State, has been awarded the President's Medal by the Geological Society of America (GSA) for 2023.
12/07/2023
Modern-day Ciudad Mante, Mexico, could help Tampa, Florida, plan for shifting water and electricity demands due to climate change, according to an international team of researchers.
12/07/2023
The Penn State Climate Consortium has launched the Climate Solutions Accelerator, an innovative effort aimed at catalyzing research projects geared towards offering impactful climate solutions for communities in Pennsylvania and globally.
12/04/2023
Penn State will host the 2024 Climate Solutions Symposium on May 14 and 15 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
12/01/2023
The latest episode of "Growing Impact" features a team of researchers that is exploring how to mitigate aviation’s climate impacts, specifically the warming effect created by contrails.