Special report: CSU leading the way in search for climate change solutions
Media contact:
Allison Sylte
allison.sylte@colostate.edu
Cell: 720-849-1907
The impacts of climate change aren’t in the future. They’re happening right now. Issues such as rising sea levels and changing weather patterns are significantly altering life as we know it.
Colorado State University is a national leader in climate change solutions in areas such as soil carbon research, tropical weather and climate research, and microbiome science, among others.
In this special report from SOURCE, discover CSU’s commitment to addressing the need for climate change science and how the university is helping to make the world a better place.
As governments around the world strive to reduce heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere, they need accurate assessments, innovative solutions and a skilled workforce with the technical know-how to implement those solutions. Colorado State University has been providing the tools needed through intensive study of changes in soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions for more than 50 years.
The greenhouse gas to beat: Why focusing on methane may be the key to addressing climate change
Methane is odorless, colorless and invisible to the naked eye. But it’s also one of the most damaging greenhouse gases impacting climate change.
Colorado State University biology professor Joe von Fischer researches how humans, plants, soil and soil microbes influence greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. The Audit podcast spoke with von Fischer about how methane compares to the more notorious carbon dioxide, his research into ways we can better measure methane emissions, and why measuring and reducing methane is a critical opportunity in the climate fight.
Lasting legacy: Colleagues recall Diana Wall’s impact on soil ecology and climate change-related research
Diana Wall, an internationally respected environmental scientist and the inaugural director of Colorado State University’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability, passed away in March 2024.
Her lasting research legacy stretches well beyond CSU. She frequently hosted postdoctoral researchers in her lab, advised numerous grad students, and built a global community around soil ecology and sustainability through the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. The link above is a collection of memories and thoughts from those who worked closely with Wall in academia or research.
Shading the sun: Could reflecting sunlight away from the Earth buy more time in the battle against climate change?
The clock is ticking, which is why scientists like CSU’s Jim Hurrell are exploring new – and controversial – methods that could possibly buy time in the fight against climate change.
One such approach is solar radiation modification (SRM), or solar geoengineering. Most SRM approaches aim to reflect a small percentage of incoming solar radiation back to space, halting additional warming from greenhouse gasses. But while SRM may rapidly counter some greenhouse gas warming impacts, the extent to which it can reduce climate change hazards has not been robustly established, nor has the extent to which it could introduce new risks to people and ecosystems.
Tracking climate change sources: CSU home to methane leak detection and research facility
Natural gas is widely seen as a bridge fuel to low-carbon energy. Compared to coal, natural gas releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A national shift based on that dynamic has led to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants of about 35% since 2005, according to the Congressional Budget Office. However, natural gas is primarily made of methane, which can escape from production and transport systems. Because methane is itself a powerful greenhouse gas contributor, even small leaks can reduce its benefits as an alternative fuel source to address climate change.
The Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center is a unique testing facility at Colorado State University designed to help industry leaders and academics address that issue. Constructed in 2017, the center mimics the real-world conditions for onshore oil and gas production facilities. This setup provides a safe and completely controllable environment to test systems across a wide range of conditions. The center will also receive substantial new funding from the Department of Energy this year to refresh its facilities and extend testing operations to multiple regions and facility types.
The science establishing the reality of human-driven climate change is clear: We will see warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, which will bring profound changes to Earth systems for centuries to come.
There is much to learn about the specific impacts we will face, their implications for Earth and human systems, and the innovations needed to transition to a warmer future and a carbon-neutral, more socially equitable economy. As climate change will affect every fiber of society for decades to come, envisioning a climate-resilient future requires moving beyond traditional academic silos for both research and education.
The term microbiome refers to a collection of microorganisms present in a particular environment. A few decades ago, scientists didn’t know very much about these microbes — exactly where or what they were or what roles they might play in any given ecosystem. More recently, though, researchers have begun to unlock a deeper understanding of the diversity and significance of microorganisms. Turns out, microbes have all kinds of important functions — in the guts of humans and cattle, in the frozen arctic tundra and in the oceans.
Colorado State University is recognized as an international leader in microbiome science, particularly in fields related to climate change. Researchers are examining questions related to wildfires, biofuels, the energy and gas sector, and disease ecology in animals and crops. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Professor Kelly Wrighton runs a lab focused on enhancing soil health, improving our ability to predict greenhouse gas emissions and better cataloging microbiomes that are still not well understood. Wrighton also serves as the co-director of the CSU Microbiome Network, which integrates microbiome research and teaching within multiple disciplines across campus.
By horse, by train, by car, by scooter? What are the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation?
We’re all working to be more green, and how you get to that destination matters … literally.
It’s common knowledge that cars aren’t the most eco-friendly mode of transportation, but how do they compare to an e-bike? Or a horse, for that matter? Jason Quinn, the director of the Sustainability Research Laboratory at Colorado State University’s Energy Institute, worked with Ph.D. student Noah Horesh to estimate the carbon dioxide impacts per mile of different modes of transportation.
Each estimate includes the emissions from manufacturing and operating the vehicle.