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Are you interested in doing a science fair project that involves the environment, ecology, pollution, or other environmental issues? Here are some science fair project ideas that involve environmental science problems.

Environmental Processes

  • Does the pH of rain or other precipitation (snow) vary according to ​the season?
  • Is the pH of rain the same as the pH of soil?
  • Can you use a plant to gauge the level of air pollution?
  • Can you use plants to remove air pollutants?
  • Can you use algae to remove water pollutants?
  • How does soil composition change with depth?
  • What organisms can you use as indicator organisms to alert you to a dangerous environmental condition in the environment?
  • How can you simulate acid rain?

Studying Environmental Damage

  • What effect does the presence of phosphates have, if any, on the oxygen level of water in a pond?
  • How does an oil spill affect marine life?
  • How much lead is in your soil? How much mercury is in your soil?
  • How much electronic pollution is there in your home? Can you find a way to measure it?
  • How much copper can plants tolerate?
  • How does the presence of soap or detergent in water affect plant growth? What about seed germination or propagation?
  • How far away from an animal pen do you need to be for there to be no fecal bacteria contamination of the soil or water?

Researching Solutions

  • Can you use gray water (water that has been used for bathing or washing) to water your plants? Does it matter what type of soap you used for your cleaning? Are some plants more tolerant of gray water than others?
  • Are carbon filters as effective with chlorinated or fluoridated water as they are with water that does not contain chlorine or fluoride?
  • How can you minimize the volume taken up by trash?
  • How much trash can be recycled or composted?
  • How can you prevent soil erosion?
  • What type of car antifreeze is most friendly to the environment?
  • What type of de-icer is most friendly to the environment?
  • Are there non-toxic methods that can be used to control mosquito populations?
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environment science project

Environmental Science Fair Projects: 30 Eco Friendly Ideas

By Pam Wasserman | March 20, 2014

It’s that time of year again when the presentation boards come out – Science Fair Season. While there are innumerable science topics for kids to choose for their research, we thought it would be helpful to offer suggestions that relate to environmental science. With Earth Day and Science Fairs on the horizon, there are many great themes to help students examine an environmental topic in depth and educate their classmates and parents at the same time. Here are some ideas for environmental science fair projects:

Water Science Fair Projects: 1.  How does the water cycle work? [Create a working model] 2.   Where does fresh water come from? [Do the demonstration in “ Water, Water Everywhere .”] 3.   How do we clean dirty water to make it clean enough to drink? [Demonstrate different filtering techniques.] 4.   Why is water scarce in parts of the world and who is most affected? 5.   What are the main culprits of water contamination? [Do the demonstration in “ Like Water and Oil ” to show the effects of oil spills.] 6.   What are water-borne diseases and how do they affect public health?

Air Quality Science Fair Projects: 7.   How does polluted air affect human health? [Show the effect of pollutants on the respiratory system.] 8.   How does transportation affect air quality? [Do the experiment in “ Catching Pollution .”]

Climate Change Science Fair Projects: 9.   What is the greenhouse effect? [Create a model] 10. How do certain human activities contribute to global warming? 11. What do ice core samples tell us about the history of global temperatures? 12. How does climate change affect the habitats and migration patterns of different species? 13. What are the consequences of global sea level rise? [Map the effects of various sea level increases, showing where impacts occur.]

Biodiversity Science Fair Projects: 14. What are invasive species and why might they pose a threat to different ecosystems? [Use a local example from your area –  your County’s Extension Office  is a good place to research.] 15. How have we derived medicines from different plants and animals? 16. What are the major threats to biodiversity?

Agricultural Science Fair Projects: 17. What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (GMOs)? 18. Can we feed the world with organically grown foods? 19. What are the short and long-term effects of commercial fertilizer use on the land? 20. What sort of diet would be optimal for human health and the environment? [Calculate the ecological footprint of various diets.] 21. Has the amount of arable land changed over time and how might this help predict future cropland availability? [Use “ World Real Estate ” to chart historical changes in the amount of arable land per person.] 22. How might climate change affect crop yields in different parts of the globe?

Renewable Energy Science Fair Projects: 23. How do solar panels work? How about wind turbines? 24. What is geothermal energy and how is it used?

Solid Waste Recycling Science Fair Projects: 25. Which materials decompose the fastest in landfills? In compost piles? [Try “ Scraps into Soil ” to get started and see results over time.] 26. Paper vs. Plastic – Which kind of bag has the greater impact on the environment and why? 27. How can changes in daily habits change the amount of trash we create? [Do the experiment in “ Waste A-Weigh .”]

Population Themed Science Fair Projects: 28. What is carrying capacity in nature and what happens when different species exceed the carrying capacity? [Read “ How Many is Enough? ” to learn the basics of carrying capacity.] 29. How does reproduction vary among different species (ex. number of offspring, length of gestation, mating habits)? 30. How and why did human settlements change over time and what effect have these changes had on ecosystems?

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Science Fair Fun: Designing Environmental Science Projects

This booklet is a step-by-step guide to help you design an exciting science fair project that focuses on the 3Rs of waste management—reduce, reuse, and recycle. Use your science fair project to show how the 3Rs lead to resource conservation.

There are sample projects in this booklet, which also contains a list of useful resources to help make your project a winner!

Check out other resources for students and teachers on reducing, reusing and recycling .

  • Science Fair Fun (pdf) (920.7 KB, September 2010 , EPA530-K-10-002)
  • Students Home
  • Classroom Resources and Project Ideas
  • Homework Help and Activities for K-12 Students

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Introduction to Environmental Science Specialization

Use environmental science to analyze energy . Learn how the field of environmental science applies scientific principles to analyze real-world problems.

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To understand current environmental problems, we need to consider physical, biological & chemical processes that are often the basis of those problems. This course will give you the skills necessary to address the environmental issues we are facing today by examining scientific principles and the application of those principles to natural systems. This course surveys some of the many environmental science topics at an introductory level, ultimately considering the sustainability of human activities on the planet.

Environmental impacts on Earth come from the number of people & the amount and types of resources that they use. By applying scientific principles and considering real-world examples, we will examine:

The field of environmental science and how to think like an environmental scientist

The human population and the ways in which changes in the population affect the environment

Agriculture, soils and the environmental implications of eating meat, vegetables, local, organic, sustainable, industrial and other types of food

Non-renewable fossil fuels with a focus on coal, petroleum & natural gas and the benefits + consequences of using each

Renewable fuels such as wind and solar and identify that even renewable “green” energy sources have impacts as well as benefits

Biodiversity and global change, which are the integrating units of environmental science

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The three courses comprising the Introduction to Environmental Science Specialization utilize video lectures; case studies from various sites in and around Dartmouth; interviews with experts; readings; both prompted and open discussions; and one graded quiz per module.

Environmental Science

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The Introduction to Environmental Science course explores the field of environmental science and encourages participants to understand how environmental scientists think. It addresses some important questions such as:

1. What is the difference between environmental science and environmental studies? 2. How do both differ from environmentalism? 3. Why is energy so important in environmental science? 4. What do you mean by biodiversity? You will also explore what global cycles are and how they impact our lives. You must be aware that the human impact on biodiversity and global change are two of the most important discussion points in environmental science. Have you ever wondered how we are affecting global change and biodiversity? How can we reconcile human population growth, resource demands and sustainability? The effects of global change on humans and natural ecosystems and additional factors in evaluating personal environmental impact will also be discussed in this course.

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This course explores the population-environment relationship. In this course, you will learn about the human population and the ways in which changes in the population affect the environment. Agriculture, soils, and the environmental implications of eating meat, vegetables, local, organic, sustainable, industrial, and other types of food are discussed too.

We explore questions such as: 1. How many people live on Earth right now? 2. What is the carrying capacity of Earth? 3. What is the relationship between the number of people, where they live, the resources they consume, and their environmental impact? 4. What types of agriculture are used right now? 5. What is the difference between organic and conventional agriculture? 6. Why would you want to dig a soil pit? A conversation with Phil Connors, an Australian Environmental Scientist, will explore the topic of human population and sustainability. You will also listen to the conversations with Danielle Allen, an organic farmer, and Justin Richardson, a soil scientist.

Energy and Environment

This course deals with both renewable and non-renewable energy. By applying scientific principles and considering real-world examples, you will examine:

1. Non-renewable fossil fuels with a focus on coal, petroleum and natural gas and the benefits and consequences of using each. 2. Renewable fuels such as wind and solar and identify that even renewable “green” energy sources have impacts as well as benefits. 3. Biodiversity and global change, which are the integrating units of environmental science. Additionally, you will explore answers to the following questions: 1. How do we evaluate coal, oil, and natural gas from an environmental science perspective? 2. What regulates energy conversions and losses in human-built systems? 3. How much energy “flows through your fingertips?” 4. How do we evaluate hydro, solar, wind, and biomass from an environmental science perspective? 5. How can we increase efficiency and conservation? You also take a tour of the Dartmouth Powerplant and listen to a conversation with Dartmouth Sustainability Director, Rosi Kerr. Furthermore, you will take a field trip to a PV tracker solar system, visit a straw bale house, and have a conversation about waste vegetable oil as an energy source in India.

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Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world’s greatest academic institutions. Dartmouth has forged a singular identity for combining its deep commitment to outstanding undergraduate liberal arts and graduate education with distinguished research and scholarship in the Arts and Sciences and its four leading graduate schools—the Geisel School of Medicine, the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Environment

100+ Environmental Science Research Topics & Ideas

Research topics and ideas within the environmental sciences

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. Here, we’ll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the environmental sciences. This is the starting point though. To develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. Also be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to develop a high-quality research topic from scratch.

Overview: Environmental Topics

  • Ecology /ecological science
  • Atmospheric science
  • Oceanography
  • Soil science
  • Environmental chemistry
  • Environmental economics
  • Environmental ethics
  • Examples  of dissertations and theses

Topics & Ideas: Ecological Science

  • The impact of land-use change on species diversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes
  • The role of disturbances such as fire and drought in shaping arid ecosystems
  • The impact of climate change on the distribution of migratory marine species
  • Investigating the role of mutualistic plant-insect relationships in maintaining ecosystem stability
  • The effects of invasive plant species on ecosystem structure and function
  • The impact of habitat fragmentation caused by road construction on species diversity and population dynamics in the tropics
  • The role of ecosystem services in urban areas and their economic value to a developing nation
  • The effectiveness of different grassland restoration techniques in degraded ecosystems
  • The impact of land-use change through agriculture and urbanisation on soil microbial communities in a temperate environment
  • The role of microbial diversity in ecosystem health and nutrient cycling in an African savannah

Topics & Ideas: Atmospheric Science

  • The impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation patterns above tropical rainforests
  • The role of atmospheric aerosols in cloud formation and precipitation above cities with high pollution levels
  • The impact of agricultural land-use change on global atmospheric composition
  • Investigating the role of atmospheric convection in severe weather events in the tropics
  • The impact of urbanisation on regional and global atmospheric ozone levels
  • The impact of sea surface temperature on atmospheric circulation and tropical cyclones
  • The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s atmospheric composition
  • The impact of climate change on atmospheric turbulence and air transportation safety
  • The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on atmospheric circulation and climate change
  • The role of atmospheric rivers in global water supply and sea-ice formation

Research topic evaluator

Topics & Ideas: Oceanography

  • The impact of ocean acidification on kelp forests and biogeochemical cycles
  • The role of ocean currents in distributing heat and regulating desert rain
  • The impact of carbon monoxide pollution on ocean chemistry and biogeochemical cycles
  • Investigating the role of ocean mixing in regulating coastal climates
  • The impact of sea level rise on the resource availability of low-income coastal communities
  • The impact of ocean warming on the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals
  • The impact of ocean deoxygenation on biogeochemical cycles in the arctic
  • The role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in regulating rainfall in arid regions
  • The impact of ocean eddies on global ocean circulation and plankton distribution
  • The role of ocean-ice interactions in regulating the Earth’s climate and sea level

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Tops & Ideas: Hydrology

  • The impact of agricultural land-use change on water resources and hydrologic cycles in temperate regions
  • The impact of agricultural groundwater availability on irrigation practices in the global south
  • The impact of rising sea-surface temperatures on global precipitation patterns and water availability
  • Investigating the role of wetlands in regulating water resources for riparian forests
  • The impact of tropical ranches on river and stream ecosystems and water quality
  • The impact of urbanisation on regional and local hydrologic cycles and water resources for agriculture
  • The role of snow cover and mountain hydrology in regulating regional agricultural water resources
  • The impact of drought on food security in arid and semi-arid regions
  • The role of groundwater recharge in sustaining water resources in arid and semi-arid environments
  • The impact of sea level rise on coastal hydrology and the quality of water resources

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Topics & Ideas: Geology

  • The impact of tectonic activity on the East African rift valley
  • The role of mineral deposits in shaping ancient human societies
  • The impact of sea-level rise on coastal geomorphology and shoreline evolution
  • Investigating the role of erosion in shaping the landscape and impacting desertification
  • The impact of mining on soil stability and landslide potential
  • The impact of volcanic activity on incoming solar radiation and climate
  • The role of geothermal energy in decarbonising the energy mix of megacities
  • The impact of Earth’s magnetic field on geological processes and solar wind
  • The impact of plate tectonics on the evolution of mammals
  • The role of the distribution of mineral resources in shaping human societies and economies, with emphasis on sustainability

Topics & Ideas: Soil Science

  • The impact of dam building on soil quality and fertility
  • The role of soil organic matter in regulating nutrient cycles in agricultural land
  • The impact of climate change on soil erosion and soil organic carbon storage in peatlands
  • Investigating the role of above-below-ground interactions in nutrient cycling and soil health
  • The impact of deforestation on soil degradation and soil fertility
  • The role of soil texture and structure in regulating water and nutrient availability in boreal forests
  • The impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health and soil organic matter
  • The impact of wetland modification on soil structure and function
  • The role of soil-atmosphere exchange and carbon sequestration in regulating regional and global climate
  • The impact of salinization on soil health and crop productivity in coastal communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Chemistry

  • The impact of cobalt mining on water quality and the fate of contaminants in the environment
  • The role of atmospheric chemistry in shaping air quality and climate change
  • The impact of soil chemistry on nutrient availability and plant growth in wheat monoculture
  • Investigating the fate and transport of heavy metal contaminants in the environment
  • The impact of climate change on biochemical cycling in tropical rainforests
  • The impact of various types of land-use change on biochemical cycling
  • The role of soil microbes in mediating contaminant degradation in the environment
  • The impact of chemical and oil spills on freshwater and soil chemistry
  • The role of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in shaping water and soil chemistry
  • The impact of over-irrigation on the cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Economics

  • The impact of climate change on the economies of developing nations
  • The role of market-based mechanisms in promoting sustainable use of forest resources
  • The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth and competitiveness
  • Investigating the economic benefits and costs of ecosystem services for African countries
  • The impact of renewable energy policies on regional and global energy markets
  • The role of water markets in promoting sustainable water use in southern Africa
  • The impact of land-use change in rural areas on regional and global economies
  • The impact of environmental disasters on local and national economies
  • The role of green technologies and innovation in shaping the zero-carbon transition and the knock-on effects for local economies
  • The impact of environmental and natural resource policies on income distribution and poverty of rural communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Ethics

  • The ethical foundations of environmentalism and the environmental movement regarding renewable energy
  • The role of values and ethics in shaping environmental policy and decision-making in the mining industry
  • The impact of cultural and religious beliefs on environmental attitudes and behaviours in first world countries
  • Investigating the ethics of biodiversity conservation and the protection of endangered species in palm oil plantations
  • The ethical implications of sea-level rise for future generations and vulnerable coastal populations
  • The role of ethical considerations in shaping sustainable use of natural forest resources
  • The impact of environmental justice on marginalized communities and environmental policies in Asia
  • The ethical implications of environmental risks and decision-making under uncertainty
  • The role of ethics in shaping the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future for the construction industry
  • The impact of environmental values on consumer behaviour and the marketplace: a case study of the ‘bring your own shopping bag’ policy

Examples: Real Dissertation & Thesis Topics

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various environmental science-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

  • The physiology of microorganisms in enhanced biological phosphorous removal (Saunders, 2014)
  • The influence of the coastal front on heavy rainfall events along the east coast (Henson, 2019)
  • Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures (Dibala, 2019)
  • Advancing spectral induced polarization for near surface geophysical characterization (Wang, 2021)
  • Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Thamnocephalus platyurus as Tools to Monitor Cyanobacterial Bloom Development and Toxicity (Hipsher, 2019)
  • Evaluating the Removal of Microcystin Variants with Powdered Activated Carbon (Juang, 2020)
  • The effect of hydrological restoration on nutrient concentrations, macroinvertebrate communities, and amphibian populations in Lake Erie coastal wetlands (Berg, 2019)
  • Utilizing hydrologic soil grouping to estimate corn nitrogen rate recommendations (Bean, 2019)
  • Fungal Function in House Dust and Dust from the International Space Station (Bope, 2021)
  • Assessing Vulnerability and the Potential for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Sudan’s Blue Nile Basin (Mohamed, 2022)
  • A Microbial Water Quality Analysis of the Recreational Zones in the Los Angeles River of Elysian Valley, CA (Nguyen, 2019)
  • Dry Season Water Quality Study on Three Recreational Sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (Vallejo, 2019)
  • Wastewater Treatment Plan for Unix Packaging Adjustment of the Potential Hydrogen (PH) Evaluation of Enzymatic Activity After the Addition of Cycle Disgestase Enzyme (Miessi, 2020)
  • Laying the Genetic Foundation for the Conservation of Longhorn Fairy Shrimp (Kyle, 2021).

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. To create a top-notch research topic, you will need to be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you’ll need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your environmental science dissertation or research project, be sure to check out our private coaching services below, as well as our Research Topic Kickstarter .

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The Ultimate Environmental Science Project List: 50 Ideas for a Sustainable Future

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the complex interactions between humans and the natural world. As our planet faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution, environmental science projects play a critical role in understanding and addressing these issues.

In this list, we’ve compiled 50 potential environmental science projects that cover a broad range of topics, from renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to wildlife conservation and waste management. These projects can serve as inspiration for students, curious kids, and anyone interested in making a positive impact on the environment. Whether you’re looking to tackle a local issue or contribute to global efforts, there’s no shortage of exciting and impactful projects to explore.

  • Investigating the impact of plastic waste on marine life: This project would involve studying the effects of plastic waste on marine ecosystems, including the ingestion of plastics by marine organisms and the accumulation of plastic debris in ocean gyres.
  • Examining the effects of air pollution on human health: This project would involve analyzing the health effects of exposure to air pollution, including respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease.
  • Developing a more efficient and sustainable water treatment system: This project would involve designing and testing a water treatment system that is energy-efficient and sustainable, with minimal environmental impact.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of organic farming practices: This project would involve comparing the yields and environmental impacts of organic farming methods to conventional farming methods.
  • Creating a composting program for a community or school: This project would involve developing a composting program to reduce waste and produce nutrient-rich soil for gardening.
  • Investigating the environmental impact of mining operations: This project would involve studying the effects of mining on local ecosystems, including soil erosion, water pollution, and habitat destruction.
  • Studying the biodiversity of a local ecosystem: This project would involve identifying and documenting the plant and animal species in a local ecosystem, and analyzing the interrelationships between them.
  • Analyzing the effects of deforestation on climate change: This project would involve studying the impact of deforestation on carbon storage and the release of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change.
  • Creating a solar-powered water desalination system: This project would involve designing and testing a system that uses solar energy to desalinate seawater, providing a sustainable source of fresh water.
  • Evaluating the impact of climate change on wildlife habitats: This project would involve studying the effects of climate change on the habitats and migration patterns of wildlife, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Developing a sustainable transportation system for a city or town: This project would involve designing and implementing a transportation system that is energy-efficient and sustainable, with minimal environmental impact.
  • Investigating the potential of algae biofuels: This project would involve studying the potential of algae as a source of biofuel, and developing methods for cultivating and harvesting algae for energy production.
  • Analyzing the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms, including coral reefs and shellfish, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Creating an energy-efficient home design: This project would involve designing and building a home that is energy-efficient and sustainable, with minimal environmental impact.
  • Designing a sustainable urban agriculture system: This project would involve designing and implementing an urban agriculture system that is energy-efficient and sustainable, with minimal environmental impact.
  • Studying the effects of pesticides on local wildlife: This project would involve studying the impact of pesticides on local wildlife, including birds, bees, and other pollinators, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Developing a sustainable waste management program: This project would involve designing and implementing a waste management program that is energy-efficient and sustainable, with minimal environmental impact.
  • Analyzing the impact of land use changes on local ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of changes in land use, such as urbanization and agriculture, on local ecosystems, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of renewable energy sources: This project would involve analyzing the effectiveness of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, in meeting energy demands and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Creating a green roof or wall system for buildings: This project would involve designing and implementing a green roof or wall system that provides insulation, reduces heat absorption, and
  • Studying the effects of noise pollution on wildlife behavior: This project would involve studying the impact of noise pollution on wildlife behavior, including changes in communication and reproductive success, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Developing a sustainable tourism program for a local area: This project would involve designing and implementing a tourism program that is sustainable and minimizes the impact on local ecosystems and communities.
  • Investigating the impact of microplastics on the environment: This project would involve studying the impact of microplastics, including their sources and effects on wildlife and human health, and developing strategies to reduce their release into the environment.
  • Analyzing the effects of water scarcity on human communities: This project would involve studying the impact of water scarcity on human communities, including access to clean water and the effects on health and livelihoods, and developing strategies to address the issue.
  • Creating a sustainable food distribution system: This project would involve designing and implementing a food distribution system that is sustainable and minimizes the impact on the environment while ensuring food security for all.
  • Evaluating the impact of climate change on crop yields: This project would involve studying the impact of climate change on crop yields, including changes in temperature, rainfall, and soil quality, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Studying the effects of light pollution on nocturnal wildlife: This project would involve studying the impact of light pollution on nocturnal wildlife, including changes in behavior and ecological interactions, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Developing a sustainable fishing program: This project would involve designing and implementing a fishing program that is sustainable and minimizes the impact on fish populations and marine ecosystems.
  • Investigating the potential of geothermal energy sources: This project would involve studying the potential of geothermal energy as a source of renewable energy, and developing methods for harnessing and using it.
  • Analyzing the impact of invasive species on local ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of invasive species on local ecosystems, including changes in biodiversity and ecological interactions, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Creating a sustainable packaging system for products: This project would involve designing and implementing a packaging system that is sustainable and minimizes the environmental impact of products.
  • Studying the effects of climate change on ocean currents: This project would involve studying the impact of climate change on ocean currents, including changes in temperature and circulation, and the effects on marine ecosystems and global climate.
  • Developing a sustainable water supply system for a community: This project would involve designing and implementing a water supply system that is sustainable and provides access to clean water for all.
  • Investigating the impact of deforestation on soil quality: This project would involve studying the impact of deforestation on soil quality, including changes in nutrient content and erosion, and developing strategies to restore degraded soils.
  • Analyzing the effects of global warming on Arctic ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of global warming on Arctic ecosystems, including changes in ice cover and wildlife habitats, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Creating a sustainable urban planning system: This project would involve designing and implementing an urban planning system that is sustainable and minimizes the environmental impact of cities.
  • Studying the effects of climate change on water availability: This project would involve studying the impact of climate change on water availability, including changes in precipitation and water storage, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Developing a sustainable energy storage system: This project would involve designing and implementing an energy storage system that is sustainable and minimizes the impact on the environment.
  • Investigating the impact of ocean currents on marine life migration patterns: This project would involve studying the impact of ocean currents on the migration patterns of marine organisms, including changes in distribution and population dynamics, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Analyzing the effects of urbanization on local ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of urbanization on local ecosystems, including changes in biodiversity and habitat fragmentation, and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Creating a sustainable transportation infrastructure for freight: This project would involve designing and implementing a transportation infrastructure that is sustainable and minimizes the impact of freight transportation on the environment.
  • Studying the effects of climate change on bird migration patterns: This project would involve studying the impact of climate change on bird migration patterns, including changes in timing and range, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Developing a sustainable food production system for cities: This project would involve designing and implementing a food production system that is sustainable and provides fresh, healthy food for urban populations.
  • Investigating the impact of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems: This project would involve studying the impact of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems, including changes in erosion and flooding, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Analyzing the effects of drought on soil health: This project would involve studying the impact of drought on soil health, including changes in nutrient content and erosion, and developing strategies to restore degraded soils.
  • Creating a sustainable pest management system for agriculture: This project would involve designing and implementing a pest management system that is sustainable and minimizes the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides.
  • Studying the effects of air pollution on plant growth: This project would involve studying the impact of air pollution on plant growth and productivity and developing strategies to mitigate the impacts.
  • Developing a sustainable wildfire management program: This project would involve designing and implementing a wildfire management program that is sustainable and minimizes the impact on local ecosystems and communities.
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on insect populations: This project would involve studying the impact of climate change on insect populations, including changes in distribution and abundance, and developing strategies to adapt to the changes.
  • Analyzing the effects of e-waste on the environment: This project would involve studying the impact of electronic waste on the environment, including the disposal and recycling of electronic devices, and developing strategies to reduce the release of harmful materials into the environment.

In conclusion, environmental science projects are essential for understanding and addressing the challenges that our planet faces. From mitigating the effects of climate change to protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainability, these projects play a critical role in shaping our future.

The 50 projects we’ve listed provide a diverse range of options for individuals and groups looking to make a positive impact on the environment. Whether it’s through scientific research, engineering design, or community-based initiatives, there are countless ways to get involved and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. By taking action and pursuing these projects, we can work towards a better future for ourselves and the planet we call home.

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Data science has a key role to play in climate change..

The science, policy, and communication practices around data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence have important implications for the climate crisis and the solutions society will utilize in the future.

From machine learning to data visualization, data science techniques are used to study the effects of climate change on marine biology, land use and restoration, food systems, patterns of change in vector borne diseases, and other climate-related issues. Data science is a powerful tool to help researchers understand the uncertainties and ambiguities inherent in data, to identify interventions, strategies, and solutions that realize co-benefits for humanity and the environment, and to evaluate the multiple–and sometimes conflicting–goals of decision-makers.

DSI researchers use the methods and tools of the growing field of data science and apply them to issues relevant to climate change and the environment.

Our researchers combine techniques from data science and environmental science to understand patterns in the global food system and develop strategies that make food-supply chains more nutritious and sustainable. They look at how machine learning can reduce the uncertainty of climate models, use deep learning for climate model superresolution, and help visualize carbon emissions based on raw data. Some combine machine learning with simulations of atmospheric turbulence to develop new models that can track air pollutants and reconstruct 3D scalar fields from 2D satellite images. Others provide innovative training in environmental health sciences, including climate and health. Researchers developed a data collaborative to harness geospatial data to help characterize populations displaced by disaster. This kind of information may help with planning for and responding to large scale natural disasters associated with climate change.

DSI students complete capstone projects to apply data science techniques to real world problems. One recent project used climate data to predict heavy snowfall. Using a data set of regional climate simulations, the student team calculated the frequency of large snow storms and tracked how the storm statistics will change in the future. Another project used machine-learning methods to develop mapped estimates of surface ocean CO2 concentrations from the limited ocean data available to monitor carbon sink to predict climate change. We help our students interpret environmental data by teaching how data are managed, stored, and disseminated, as well as how they are enrolled into various narratives and models of climate change.

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Research Highlights

  • Ryan Abernathey, Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Peter deMenocal, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
  • Mu Xu, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Eddy transport of tracers (e.g. heat, salt, dissolved chemicals, etc.) by mesoscale turbulence is important in climate models. However, the scales of eddy transport are about 10~200 km, which are not resolved by coarse-resolution global climate models. Consequently, the mesoscale tracer transports must be parameterized using a subgrid scheme. The goal of parameterization is to predict the tendencies of physical variables including velocity, temperature, salinity etc. due to the unresolved turbulent motions. There are many different types of mesoscale subgrid schemes, and many different tuning parameters. However, evaluating the performance of subgrid scheme quantitatively is difficult. In this work, we present a framework to evaluate the accuracy of subgrid schemes quantitatively with a data-driven method. We run a high-resolution simulation with resolution of about 5 km and consider this as our “truth.” With a coarse-grain method, the high-resolution data is projected to a low-resolution grid. The quantitative aim of eddy parameterization is to mitigate the loss of tracer transport due to the coarse-graining. Based on this consideration, we develop an offline system to calculate the eddy parameterization predictions and evaluate the performance of different subgrid schemes. This work lays a foundation for future data-driven statistical-learning-based methods for ocean eddy tracer transport parameterization.

  • Joaquim Goes, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
  • Ankit Peshin, Ziyao Zhang and Paridhi Singh, Data Science Institute

This research team travels by ship to different parts of the Atlantic Ocean to collect water samples to study the effects of climate change on marine biology. They are designing an automated system through which seawater may be drawn into their moving ship and continuously analyzed. This automated system is an advancement over the usual method of collecting samples; ocean researchers typically stop their ships at pre-planned locations to collect samples. Data is also being gathered on the diversity of microscopic plant life, particularly plankton, which are critical to the marine ecosystem and to assess the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Plankton form the basis of many food chains and are an important indicator of an ocean’s health. When fully functional, the system will provide data required to validate satellite images of the ocean now being developed by NASA, NOAA and other agencies.

  • Marco Giometto, Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
  • Pierre Gentine and Mostafa Momen, Earth and Environmental Engineering
  • Carl Vondrick, Computer Science

Satellite images are routinely used to track pollutant dispersion in the atmosphere, but the inherently two-dimensional information is limited and often impedes the development of effective rapid response plans. This project will develop a machine learning model to predict the three-dimensional structure of pollutant concentrations from satellite images of the dispersion process. Machine learning will be combined with high-fidelity simulations of atmospheric turbulence to guide the development of a model to track scalar dispersion as well as a model to reconstruct the corresponding three-dimensional concentration field from two-dimensional satellite-like information.

  • Zsuzsa Marka and Szabolcs Marka, Physics and Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory
  • John Wright, Electrical Engineering
  • Zelda Moran, Earth Institute

Control of tsetse flies — the vector responsible for African Trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness — is highly dependent on precise, high-volume, and cost-effective separation of tsetse genders. Enabling broad deployment, this team is pioneering machine learning-based robotic systems that use infrared imaging to peek inside tsetse pupae for early, robust, and fast identification of males to be used to suppress the wild tsetse population.

  • Ruth DeFries, Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology
  • Walter Baethgen, International Research Institute for Climate and Society
  • Michael Puma, Center for Climate Systems Research, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
  • Kyle Davis, Data Science Institute

This project combines field work with data-driven techniques to study how to improve patterns of food trade in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Food trade patterns are essentially the import and export links that connect the production of food in one country to the consumption of it in another. If, for instance, an exporting country experiences a shortage in food production, it may be unable to provide the usual amount of exports to its trade partners. This project assesses how vulnerable these exporting countries are to production shortfalls, and how importing countries may buffer themselves against these possible shortfalls so they are not adversely affected. Research in food-system sustainability aims to minimize the effects of food production on the environment, working with local residents and experts to adapt agricultural systems to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

  • Christoph Meinrenken, Earth Institute

Carbon Catalogue, a free online interactive tool, visualizes the carbon emissions in hundreds of consumer and commercial products around the world. Co-developed with CoClear, a Columbia-alumna founded sustainability analytics firm, Carbon Catalogue, is based on raw data from CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). Its visualization features were further honed during a DSI hackathon.

  • Robert Chen, Center for International Earth and Science Information

Network Groups tasked with planning for and responding to disasters and humanitarian crises contend with data that is often fragmented, delayed, and limited in reliability. This project focuses on setting up the Data Collaborative and Modalities of Communication involving key users from the Platform on Disaster Displacement, (PDD) Columbia University’s humanitarian research community, selected commercial providers, and other relevant data science organizations and experts. It also identifies the data/information needs of the humanitarian/displacement tracking community and develops pilot tests of selected data streams (Internet location, night-time lights, etc.).

  • Gavin Schmidt, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Earth Institute

Every winter the news media covers stories of massive disruption caused by large snowfalls for which cities and counties in the Eastern U.S. are apparently ill-prepared. The impact of large snow events is worse in regions that rarely get them and the observational statistics of their likelihood are limited because of their rarity. Nonetheless, there are anticipated changes in these statistics because of two possible counterbalancing factors in climate change — overall warming which might reduce snow events at the southern edge of the region and greater intensity of precipitation and higher atmospheric water vapor content, which might increase heavy snowfalls. Using a 50 member regional climate model ensemble, we explore the statistics of highly impactful snowfalls and address where and when we might be able to detect and expect significant changes over time.

  • Galen McKinley, Earth and Environmental Science and Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory

Climate is changing due to human emissions of carbon to the atmosphere. But not all the carbon emitted remains in the atmosphere. In fact, over the course of the industrial era, the ocean has absorbed the equivalent of 41 percent of all human fossil-fuel derived carbon dioxide emissions, a phenomenon known as “sink.” Studying the ocean carbon cycle is critical to understanding and predicting climate change. It is also essential for efforts to limit climate change by reducing the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Ocean data are quite sparse, and CO2 in water cannot be directly measured from space. This team uses machine-learning methods to develop mapped estimates of surface ocean CO2 concentrations from the limited data available. Interpreting Urban Environmental Data This pilot course is part of a broader rethinking of archaeology at Columbia. Faculty work towards developing a more integrated archaeology program to bring together expertise and resources from different departments and develop a course which may be offered at the M.A. level and better serve our undergraduate population. The course also provides training in historical terrestrial palaeoecology and cultivates an informed historical consciousness and an understanding of the wider repercussions beyond the field of scientific research and reporting.

50 Best Environmental Science Research Topics

May 31, 2023

environment science project

Environmental science is a varied discipline that encompasses a variety of subjects, including ecology, atmospheric science, and geology among others. Professionals within this field can pursue many occupations from lab technicians and agricultural engineers to park rangers and environmental lawyers. However, what unites these careers is their focus on how the natural world and the human world interact and impact the surrounding environment. There is also one other significant commonality among environmental science careers: virtually all of them either engage in or rely on research on environmental science topics to ensure their work is accurate and up to date.

In this post, we’ll outline some of the best environmental science research topics to help you explore disciplines within environmental science and kickstart your own research. If you are considering majoring in environmental science or perhaps just need help brainstorming for a research paper, this post will give you a broad sense of timely environmental science research topics.

What makes a research topic good?

Before we dive into specific environmental science research topics, let’s first cover the basics: what qualities make for a viable research topic. Research is the process of collecting information to make discoveries and reach new conclusions. We often think of research as something that occurs in academic or scientific settings. However, everyone engages in informal research in everyday life, from reading product reviews to investigating statistics for admitted students at prospective colleges . While we all conduct research in our day-to-day lives, formal academic research is necessary to advance discoveries and scholarly discourses. Therefore, in this setting, good research hinges on a topic in which there are unanswered questions or ongoing debates. In other words, meaningful research focuses on topics where you can say something new.

However, identifying an interesting research topic is only the first step in the research process. Research topics tend to be broad in scope. Strong research is dependent on developing a specific research question, meaning the query your project will seek to answer. While there are no comprehensive guidelines for research questions, most scholars agree that research questions should be:

1) Specific

Research questions need to clearly identify and define the focus of your research. Without sufficient detail, your research will likely be too broad or imprecise in focus to yield meaningful insights. For example, you might initially be interested in addressing this question: How should governments address the effects of climate change? While that is a worthwhile question to investigate, it’s not clear enough to facilitate meaningful research. What level of government is this question referring to? And what specific effects of global warming will this research focus on? You would need to revise this question to provide a clearer focus for your research. A revised version of this question might look like this: How can state government officials in Florida best mitigate the effects of sea-level rise?

Our interest in a given topic often starts quite broad. However, it is difficult to produce meaningful, thorough research on a broad topic. For that reason, it is important that research questions be narrow in scope, focusing on a specific issue or subtopic. For example, one of the more timely environmental science topics is renewable energy. A student who is just learning about this topic might wish to write a research paper on the following question: Which form of renewable energy is best? However, that would be a difficult question to answer in one paper given the various ways in which an energy source could be “best.” Instead, this student might narrow their focus, assessing renewable energy sources through a more specific lens: Which form of renewable energy is best for job creation?

 3) Complex

As we previously discussed, good research leads to new discoveries. These lines of inquiry typically require a complicated and open-ended research question. A question that can be answered with just a “yes” or “no” (or a quick Google search) is likely indicative of a topic in which additional research is unnecessary (i.e. there is no ongoing debate) or a topic that is not well defined. For example, the following question would likely be too simple for academic research: What is environmental justice? You can look up a definition of environmental justice online. You would need to ask a more complex question to sustain a meaningful research project. Instead, you might conduct research on the following query: Which environmental issue(s) disproportionately impact impoverished communities in the Pacific Northwest? This question is narrower and more specific, while also requiring more complex thought and analysis to answer.

4) Debatable

Again, strong research provides new answers and information, which means that they must be situated within topics or discourses where there is ongoing debate. If a research question can only lead to one natural conclusion, that may indicate that it has already been sufficiently addressed in prior research or that the question is leading. For example, Are invasive species bad? is not a very debatable question (the answer is in the term “invasive species”!). A paper that focused on this question would essentially define and provide examples of invasive species (i.e. information that is already well documented). Instead, a researcher might investigate the effects of a specific invasive species. For example: How have Burmese pythons impacted ecosystems in the Everglades, and what mitigation strategies are most effective to reduce Burmese python populations?

Therefore, research topics, including environmental science topics, are those about which there are ample questions yet to be definitively answered. Taking time to develop a thoughtful research question will provide the necessary focus and structure to facilitate meaningful research.

10 Great Environmental Science Research Topics (With Explanations!)

Now that we have a basic understanding of what qualities can make or break a research topic, we can return to our focus on environmental science topics. Although “great” research topics are somewhat subjective, we believe the following topics provide excellent foundations for research due to ongoing debates in these areas, as well as the urgency of the challenges they seek to address.

1) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Although climate change is now a well-known concept , there is still much to be learned about how humans can best mitigate and adapt to its effects. Mitigation involves reducing the severity of climate change. However, there are a variety of ways mitigation can occur, from switching to electric vehicles to enforcing carbon taxes on corporations that produce the highest carbon emission levels. Many of these environmental science topics intersect with issues of public policy and economics, making them very nuanced and versatile.

In comparison, climate change adaptation considers how humans can adjust to life in an evolving climate where issues such as food insecurity, floods, droughts, and other severe weather events are more frequent. Research on climate change adaptation is particularly fascinating due to the various levels at which it occurs, from federal down to local governments, to help communities anticipate and adjust to the effects of climate change.

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation represent excellent environmental science research topics as there is still much to be learned to address this issue and its varied effects.

2) Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is another fairly mainstream topic in which there is much to learn and research. Although scientists have identified many forms of sustainable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, questions remain about how to best implement these energy sources. How can politicians, world leaders, and communities advance renewable energy through public policy? What impact will renewable energy have on local and national economies? And how can we minimize the environmental impact of renewable energy technologies? While we have identified alternatives to fossil fuels, questions persist about the best way to utilize these technologies, making renewable energy one of the best environmental science topics to research.

3) Conservation

Conservation is a broad topic within environmental science, focusing on issues such as preserving environments and protecting endangered species. However, conservation efforts are more challenging than ever in the face of a growing world population and climate change. In fact, some scientists theorize that we are currently in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. While these issues might seem dire, we need scientists to conduct research on conservation efforts for specific species, as well as entire ecosystems, to help combat these challenges and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

4) Deforestation

The Save the Rainforest movement of the 1980s and 90s introduced many people to the issue of deforestation. Today, the problems associated with deforestation, such as reduced biodiversity and soil erosion, are fairly common knowledge. However, these challenges persist due, in part, to construction and agricultural development projects. While we know the effects of deforestation, it is more difficult to identify and implement feasible solutions. This is particularly true in developing countries where deforestation is often more prevalent due to political, environmental, and economic factors. Environmental science research can help reduce deforestation by identifying strategies to help countries sustainably manage their natural resources.

Environmental Science Topics (Continued)

5) urban ecology.

When we think of “the environment,” our brains often conjure up images of majestic mountain ranges and lush green forests. However, less “natural” environments also warrant study: this is where urban ecology comes in. Urban ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment in urban settings. Through urban ecology, researchers can address topics such as how greenspaces in cities can reduce air pollution, or how local governments can adopt more effective waste management practices. As one of the newer environmental science topics, urban ecology represents an exciting research area that can help humans live more sustainably.

6) Environmental Justice

While environmental issues such as climate change impact people on a global scale, not all communities are affected equally. For example, wealthy nations tend to contribute more to greenhouse-gas emissions. However, less developed nations are disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change . Studies within the field of environmental justice seek to understand how issues such as race, national origin, and income impact the degree to which people experience hardships from environmental issues. Researchers in this field not only document these inequities, but also identify ways in which environmental justice can be achieved. As a result, their work helps communities have access to clean, safe environments in which they can thrive.

7) Water Management

Water is, of course, necessary for life, which is why water management is so important within environmental science research topics. Water management research ensures that water resources are appropriately identified and maintained to meet demand. However, climate change has heightened the need for water management research, due to the occurrence of more severe droughts and wildfires. As a result, water management research is necessary to ensure water is clean and accessible.

8) Pollution and Bioremediation

Another impact of the increase in human population and development is heightened air, water, and soil pollution. Environmental scientists study pollutants to understand how they work and where they originate. Through their research, they can identify solutions to help address pollution, such as bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to consume and break down pollutants. Collectively, research on pollution and bioremediation helps us restore environments so they are sufficient for human, animal, and plant life.

9) Disease Ecology

While environmental science topics impact the health of humans, we don’t always think of this discipline as intersecting with medicine. But, believe it or not, they can sometimes overlap! Disease ecology examines how ecological processes and interactions impact disease evolution. For example, malaria is a disease that is highly dependent on ecological variables, such as temperature and precipitation. Both of these factors can help or hinder the breeding of mosquitoes and, therefore, the transmission of malaria. The risk of infectious diseases is likely to increase due to climate change , making disease ecology an important research topic.

10) Ecosystems Ecology

If nothing else, the aforementioned topics and their related debates showcase just how interconnected the world is. None of us live in a vacuum: our environment affects us just as we affect it. That makes ecosystems ecology, which examines how ecosystems operate and interact, an evergreen research topic within environmental science.

40 More Environmental Science Research Topics

Still haven’t stumbled upon the right environmental science research topic? The following ideas may help spark some inspiration:

  • The effects of agricultural land use on biodiversity and ecosystems.
  • The impact of invasive plant species on ecosystems.
  • How wildfires and droughts shape ecosystems.
  • The role of fire ecology in addressing wildfire threats.
  • The impact of coral bleaching on biodiversity.
  • Ways to minimize the environmental impact of clean energies.
  • The effects of climate change on ocean currents and migration patterns of marine species.

Environmental Justice and Public Policy

  • Opportunities to equalize the benefits of greenspaces for impoverished and marginalized communities.
  • The impact of natural disasters on human migration patterns.
  • The role of national parks and nature reserves in human health.
  • How to address inequalities in the impact of air pollution.
  • How to prevent and address the looming climate refugee crisis.
  • Environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives to deforestation in less developed countries.
  • Effects of environmental policies and regulations on impoverished communities.
  • The role of pollutants in endocrine disruption.
  • The effects of climate change on the emergence of infectious diseases.

AP Environmental Science Research Topics (Continued)

Soil science.

  • Effects of climate change on soil erosion.
  • The role of land management in maintaining soil health.
  • Agricultural effects of salinization in coastal areas.
  • The effects of climate change on agriculture.

Urban Ecology

  • How road construction impacts biodiversity and ecosystems.
  • The effects of urbanization and city planning on water cycles.
  • Impacts of noise pollution on human health.
  • The role of city planning in reducing light pollution.

Pollution and Bioremediation

  • The role of bioremediation in removing “forever” chemicals from the environment.
  • Impacts of air pollution on maternal health.
  • How to improve plastic recycling processes.
  • Individual measures to reduce consumption and creation of microplastics.
  • Environmental impacts of and alternatives to fracking.

Environmental Law and Ethics

  • Ethical implications of human intervention in the preservation of endangered species.
  • The efficacy and impact of single-use plastic laws.
  • Effects of religious and cultural values in environmental beliefs.
  • The ethics of climate change policy for future generations.
  • Ethical implications of international environmental regulations for less developed countries.
  • The impact and efficacy of corporate carbon taxes.
  • Ethical and environmental implications of fast fashion.
  • The ethics and efficacy of green consumerism.
  • Impacts of the hospitality and travel industries on pollution and emissions.
  • The ethical implications of greenwashing in marketing.
  • Effects of “Right to Repair” laws on pollution.

Final Thoughts: Environmental Science Research Topics

Environmental science is a diverse and very important area of study that impacts all aspects of life on Earth. If you’ve found a topic you’d like to pursue, it’s time to hit the books (or online databases)! Begin reading broadly on your chosen topic so you can define a specific research question. If you’re unsure where to begin, contact a research librarian who can connect you with pertinent resources. As you familiarize yourself with the discourse surrounding your topic, consider what questions spring to mind. Those questions may represent gaps around which you can craft a research question.

Interested in conducting academic research? Check out the following resources for information on research opportunities and programs:

  • Research Opportunities for High School Students
  • Colleges with the Best Undergraduate Research Programs
  • College Success
  • High School Success

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Emily Smith

Emily earned a BA in English and Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in English from Wake Forest University. While at UNC and Wake Forest, she served as a tutor and graduate assistant in each school’s writing center, where she worked with undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds. She also worked as an editorial intern for the Wake Forest University Press as well as a visiting lecturer in the Department of English at WFU, and currently works as a writing center director in western North Carolina.

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14 innovative projects helping to save the planet and make the world a better place

Environment nature biodiversity conservation

UpLink helps communities across the world face the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Image:  Unsplash/Noah Buscher

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environment science project

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A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:.

  • Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address the world’s most pressing problems.
  • The initiative seeks sustainable solutions to tackle issues such as climate change and social injustice.
  • Projects are also aimed at tackling the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The importance of sustainable solutions came to the fore in 2020 as communities across the world faced the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address such challenges and help speed up the delivery of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Unveiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2020, the platform - launched with founding partners Deloitte and Salesforce - connects the next generation of change-makers and social entrepreneurs to networks of contacts with the resources, expertise and experience to help bring about change.

Since its launch, UpLink has surfaced the best entrepreneurial solutions through competitions such as its Ocean Solutions Sprint , Trillion Trees Challenge , COVID-19 Social Justice Challenge and COVID Challenges . Here are some of the most innovative.

Have you read?

3 innovations leading the fight to save our forests, these 15 innovations are helping us fight covid-19 and its aftermath, 4 ideas that could make our response to covid-19 more equal.

Ocean Solutions Sprint

Cubex Global

Oman-based Cubex Global aims to cut global shipping emissions by enabling businesses to easily buy and sell unused container space on existing cargo routes. The company claims that its blockchain-based marketplace could help reduce emissions from shipping vessels by up to 20% and recover about $25 billion in lost freight revenue each year.

Waste management service RecyGlo works with businesses in Myanmar and Malaysia to recycle and process material in a safe and non-hazardous manner, helping to avoid mismanaged plastic being dumped in the region’s rivers and ending up in the ocean. The Yangon-based company manages 500 tonnes of waste and saves 1,470 tonnes of CO2 each month .

Scottish biotech start-up Oceanium uses sustainably-farmed seaweed to create food and nutrition products and compostable biopackaging. It believes that a sustainable seaweed farming industry can help mitigate the effects of climate change and create jobs.

COVID Challenge

Intelehealth

Developed at Johns Hopkins University, Intelehealth is a telemedicine platform that connects patients and frontline health workers with remote doctors to deliver primary care services at a distance in countries such as India.

UpLink is a digital platform to crowdsource innovations in an effort to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

It is an open platform designed to engage anyone who wants to offer a contribution for the global public good. The core objective is to link up the best innovators to networks of decision-makers, who can implement the change needed for the next decade. As a global platform, UpLink serves to aggregate and guide ideas and impactful activities, and make connections to scale-up impact.

Hosted by the World Economic Forum, UpLink is being designed and developed in collaboration with Salesforce, Deloitte and LinkedIn.

Emergency services app Flare provides next-generation 911 for those who do not have access to help in case of an emergency. In Kenya, its ‘Uber for ambulances’ platform has reduced response times by 87% and helped save 2,500 lives since its 2017 launch.

Carbon Health

Tech-enabled primary care provider Carbon Health aims to improve access to world-class healthcare. In the US, it established pop-up COVID clinics in 30 cities, with doctors available on video call, and has so far tested more than 500,000 people .

Desolenator

Desolenator’s solar-powered water purification systems help remote communities produce clean drinking water, without the need for filters, chemicals or external energy sources. This helps them build water resilience in the face of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic .

Trillion Trees Challenge

Borneo Nature Foundation

For over a decade, Borneo Nature Foundation has developed planting methods to reforest degraded deep peatland, which is an important carbon store, key to local economies and home to populations of orangutans. It has planted more than 30,000 seedlings , and established community seedling nurseries in villages near Borneo’s remaining tropical rainforests.

Reforestum and Ecosphere+

Spain-based CO2 offsetting service Reforestum teamed up with UK climate solutions company Ecosphere+ to enable individuals and businesses to finance forest conservation and restoration by offsetting their carbon footprint.

Inga Foundation

Slash-and-burn farming is the only source of income for millions of farmers but it’s devastating the world’s rainforests. This is something that the UK-based Inga Foundation wants to counter through its Inga Alley farming method, which helps farmers build long-term food security on one plot of land.

Social Justice Challenge

Global platform citiesRise seeks to transform mental health policy and practice for young people across the world through its Mental Health and Friendly Cities framework – something that is only likely to become even more relevant in the COVID-19 era.

Philippines-based telerehabilitation platform TheraWee aims to improve access to rehabilitation services for children with difficulties by connecting their parents with individuals, groups and communities that can offer them support.

Noora Health

US start-up Noora Health provides families with medical skills training to help look after their loved ones, both in health facilities and at home. Its Care Companion Program has already reached more than 1 million relatives in India and Bangladesh .

Family Mask’s #PPEforAll

Global Citizen Capital and its company Family Mask’s #PPEforAll initiative was set up to boost access to affordable personal protective equipment (PPE) as the pandemic hit. By July 2020, more than 1 million masks had been distributed to elderly people across the world.

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New research effort will consolidate tools to manage salt contamination of fresh water supplies.

environment science project

Salt contamination of water supplies in tidal rivers is a growing problem around the world, threatening the safe drinking water of billions of people. A multi-institution research group of scientists and engineers led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has been awarded a $650K Phase 1 grant by the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Convergence Accelerator to develop and prototype tools to help monitor and manage decision-making around this emerging issue. "This research effort will bring together innovative watershed-estuary models and decision support tools to apply to the grand engineering challenge of ensuring access to clean water," said Ming Li , project lead and UMCES Professor (pictured right). About 70% of the U.S. drinking water supply comes from surface waters, including tidal rivers, which are the tidal fresh region of estuaries. Drought and sea level rise, which lead to saltwater intrusion from the ocean, and changes in land-use, which lead to freshwater salinization, are putting water resources at risk. The risk extends to water uses for thermoelectric power, irrigation, and industrial production. This topic made headline news in recent years, including the Mississippi River in 2023, the Rhine River in 2022 and the San Francisco Bay-Delta in 2021. "Both developed and developing countries are struggling with salt contamination of tidal river waters and many rely on numerical models to manage salinity," said Li. "These new tools will be applicable to numerous systems around the globe." Many water suppliers, for example, do not have the necessary planning and technical capacity to prepare for these changes. To that end, this project will develop and prototype decision support and monitoring tools for salinity management by working with water resource managers, under-resourced rural communities, and water suppliers. The goal is to create a better decision support system for salinity management and coastal communities to bolster the resilience of water infrastructure and protect public health. Indeed, tidal rivers like the Susquehanna and Potomac are already encountering high chloride levels in water supplies that are impacting drinking water quality for public consumption. Rural communities such as Havre de Grace and Perryville withdraw drinking water from the Susquehanna River; their drinking water intakes were threatened by high chloride levels during periods of extended drought. Farmers who withdraw water for irrigation also competed for the scarce freshwater resources. In the Potomac River, use of road deicers during winter storms and human-accelerated weathering have led to freshwater salinization near densely populated areas, adding to the increasing problem of oceanic salt intrusion. Better modeling and monitoring tools are needed to manage this contamination. Li’s team will develop a new coupled watershed–estuary model that simulates the transport and fate of major salt ions by leveraging recent advances in hydrological and estuarine modeling, using the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers as a pilot-study site. The model will then be used in combination with artificial intelligence algorithms, in a planning tool to identify management strategies and quantify the tradeoffs between competing needs for freshwater resources. This approach will also be used to search for long-term planning strategies in the form of adaptation pathways.

Additional institutions contributing to this effort include Pennsylvania State University, University of Maryland College Park, University of Pennsylvania, Salisbury University, Rutgers University, Izaak Walton League of America, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Planning, Maryland Geological Survey, Metropolitan Washington Council, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Delaware River Basin Commission, EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, and Maryland Sea Grant. This research is funded by the NSF’s Convergence Accelerator’s Track K: Equitable Water Solutions.

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ScienceDaily

135 new projects in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment are starting their research

The EU is investing €897 million in new projects that will play a crucial role in advancing the ambitions and commitments outlined in the Green Deal contributing to the sustainable transformation of the EU economy and society.

environment science project

The EU is investing €897 million in new projects that will contribute to the sustainable transformation of the EU economy and society in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and the environment.

Funded through Horizon Europe, the 135 new projects are expected to play a crucial role in advancing the European Union's ambitions and commitments outlined in the EU Green Deal . They will reduce environmental degradation, halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity and better manage natural resources whilst ensuring food and water security.  

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan, EU Soil, EU Biodiversity, EU Forests, and EU Farm-to-Fork strategies are some of the EU policies and strategies that these EU-funded projects will also support through their innovative and sustainable solutions. 

The projects have signed their Grant Agreements with the European Commission. Some of them have already begun their research while some will commence shortly.

Number of selected projects per call  

What will the selected projects do  .

Biodiversity and ecosystems services  

Projects are expected to contribute to understand and address direct drivers of biodiversity decline in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Among others, projects are expected to develop methods to improve the conservation status of EU-protected species and habitat, and to assess the effects and impact of chemical pollutants. Projects will analyse the impact of light and noise pollution on biodiversity and will enhance greening plans in urban and peri-urban areas to meet the objectives set in the Nature Conservation law.  

See projects funded under this call  

Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption  

Projects are expected to, for instance, advance sustainable livestock systems and give attention to holistic approaches, such as those that contribute to improving organic-tailored plant varieties and the appropriate use of breeds and varieties as well as build soil fertility and optimal nutrient management. Also, projects will propose marketing solutions to prevent and reduce food waste, and minimise the impacts of pesticides on human and animal health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, drinking water, soils and the food chain.

Projects will address food security in Africa, enhancing safety systems, local markets, and aquaculture farms with AI and IoT technologies. Projects should suggest solutions and addressing traceability of all steps in the production chain to measure the effectiveness of solutions.

Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors   

Projects should enable circular economy transitions through the development and demonstration of innovative solutions and sustainable practices in EU regions and cities and in different sectors - including households and water. Other funded projects are expected to develop novel bio-based, sustainable, and ‘eco-friendly’ materials and products for various bioeconomy sectors, including for humanitarian applications. Several projects also aim to safeguard and improve the sustainability of forests functions.  

Clean environment and zero pollution   

Projects are expected to produce tools and techniques to reduce water losses as well as the presence of pesticide residues and nutrients in water bodies to levels that are no longer harmful. The projects will support farmers, spatial planners, policy makers and water managers to optimising agricultural water use for irrigation but also water used by local people and in other economic sectors. In addition, some of the projects will advance understanding of the impacts of pollution in the Arctic, including marine litter, emerging pollutants, and plastic pollution, while other projects should come up with strategies to prevent and reduce food plastic packaging pollution. 

Land, oceans and water for climate action  

Projects will, for example, improve irrigation practices and technology in agriculture, and improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness and sustainable design of a wide range of alternative water solutions (e.g., rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reclamation and reuse, brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge). Projects should explore carbon farming techniques and their outcomes and develop sustainable solutions and business models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. A pilot network of 250 farms implementing climate and carbon practices is expected to be created. In addition, the projects should contribute to the EU-China international cooperation to improve biodiversity monitoring infrastructures to deliver better synergies between mitigation, adaptation, and conservation. 

Resilient, inclusive, healthy, and green rural, coastal and urban communities   

Projects funded under this call should identify and analyse the drivers of social exclusion and the challenges to address disparities and marginalisation in various rural areas in Europe, (e.g., remote rural areas, costal and mountain areas, rural areas close to towns and cities). Some projects should analyse rural and territorial policies that were developed with and for rural communities and identify effective citizen engagement methods. Projects should assess current and future contribution of various forms of urban farming to, for instance, overall food supply, food security and resilience mainly for urban citizens, and the demand for new skills, training, and educational offer.  

Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal  

The projects are expected to investigate, identify and test innovative nudging practices to help farmers and foresters move into sustainable farming systems, and to developing an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science. In addition, projects should reduce observation gaps in the land-sea interface area, and run integrated assessment of land use and biomass demands to contribute to a sustainable healthy and fair bioeconomy. 

How were the projects selected?  

All projects were selected in seven competitive calls for proposals, which opened on 22 December 2022. In total, 568 proposals were submitted by the calls’ deadline in Spring 2023. 

The selected projects received the highest marks in a peer evaluation run by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) with the help of independent experts. 

Further information  

For updates on these projects—as well as another innovative research— follow REA on X and LinkedIn . You will get up-to-date information about their study findings as well as the upcoming events.   

Subscribe to the Horizon Europe’s Cluster 6: ‘Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment’ newsletter and receive these updates straight into your inbox! 

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Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicine

environment science project

To sell water and make his living, Steve relied completely on his donkeys. They pulled him in his cart loaded with its 20 jerry cans to all his customers. When Steve's donkeys were stolen for their skins, he could no longer work.

That day started like most others. In the morning, he left his home in the outskirts of Nairobi and went to the field to get his animals.

"I couldn't see them," he recalls. "I searched all day, all night and the following day." It was three days later that he got a call from a friend telling him he had found the animals' skeletons. "They'd been killed, slaughtered, their skin was not there."

Donkey thefts like this have become increasingly common across many parts of Africa - and in other parts of the world that have large populations of these working animals. Steve - and his donkeys - are collateral damage in a controversial global trade in donkey skin.

The Donkey Sanctuary A worker carries a donkey skin at a slaughterhouse in Kenya

Its origins are thousands of miles from that field in Kenya. In China, a traditional medicinal remedy that is made with the gelatin in donkey skin is in high demand. It is called Ejiao.

It is believed to have health-enhancing and youth-preserving properties. Donkey skins are boiled down to extract the gelatin, which is made into powder, pills or liquid, or is added to food.

Campaigners against the trade say that people like Steve - and the donkeys they depend on - are victims of an unsustainable demand for Ejiao's traditional ingredient.

In a new report, the Donkey Sanctuary, which has campaigned against the trade since 2017, estimates that globally at least 5.9 million donkeys are slaughtered every year to supply it. And the charity says that demand is growing, although the BBC was unable to independently verify those figures.

It is very difficult to get an accurate picture of exactly how many donkeys are killed to supply the Ejiao industry.

The Donkey Sanctuary Ejiao, the traditional Chinese medicine made using donkey skin, in its various forms

In Africa, where about two-thirds of the world's 53 million donkeys live, there is a patchwork of regulations. Export of donkey skins is legal in some countries and illegal in others. But high demand and high prices for skins fuel the theft of donkeys, and the Donkey Sanctuary says it has discovered animals being moved across international borders to reach locations where the trade is legal.

However, there could soon be a turning point as every African state's government, and the government of Brazil, are poised to ban the slaughter and export of donkeys in response to their shrinking donkey populations.

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Solomon Onyango, who works for the Donkey Sanctuary and is based in Nairobi, says: "Between 2016 and 2019, we estimate that about half of Kenya's donkeys were slaughtered [to supply the skin trade]."

These are the same animals that carry people, goods, water and food - the backbone of poor, rural communities. So the scale and rapid growth of the skin trade has alarmed campaigners and experts, and has moved many people in Kenya to take part in anti-skin trade demonstrations.

The proposal for an Africa-wide, indefinite ban is on the agenda at the African Union Summit , where all state leaders meet, on 17 and 18 February.

Faith Burden A family with their donkey in Manda village in Kenya

Reflecting on a possible Africa-wide ban, Steve says he hopes it will help protect the animals, "or the next generation will have no donkeys".

But could bans across Africa and in Brazil simply shift the trade elsewhere?

Ejiao producers used to use skins from donkeys sourced in China. But, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs there, donkey numbers in the country plummeted from 11 million in 1990 to just under two million in 2021. At the same time, Ejiao went from being a niche luxury to become a popular, widely available product.

Chinese companies sought their skin supplies overseas. Donkey slaughterhouses were established in parts of Africa, South America and Asia.

In Africa, this led to a grim tug of war over the trade.

The Donkey Sanctuary Working donkeys at a quarry in Kenya

In Ethiopia, where the consumption of donkey meat is taboo, one of the country's two donkey slaughterhouses was closed down in 2017 in response to public protests and social media outcry.

Countries including Tanzania and Ivory Coast banned the slaughter and export of donkey skins in 2022, but China's neighbour Pakistan embraces the trade. Late last year, media reports there trumpeted the country's first "official donkey breeding farm" to raise "some of the best breeds".

And it is big business. According to China-Africa relations scholar Prof Lauren Johnston, from the University of Sydney, the Ejiao market in China increased in value from about $3.2bn (£2.5bn) in 2013 to about $7.8bn in 2020.

It has become a concern for public health officials, animal welfare campaigners and even international crime investigators. Research has revealed that shipments of donkey skins are used to traffic other illegal wildlife products. Many are worried that national bans on the trade will push it further underground.

For state leaders, there is the fundamental question: Are donkeys worth more to a developing economy dead or alive?

The Donkey Sanctuary Donkeys in a pen at a slaughterhouse in Kenya

"Most of the people in my community are small-scale farmers and they use the donkeys to sell their goods," says Steve. He was saving money from selling water to pay for school fees to study medicine.

Faith Burden, who is head vet at the Donkey Sanctuary, says that the animals are "absolutely intrinsic" to rural life in many parts of the world. These are strong, adaptable animals. "A donkey will be able to go for perhaps 24 hours without drinking and can rehydrate very quickly without any problems."

But for all their qualities, donkeys do not breed easily or quickly. So campaigners fear that if the trade is not curtailed, donkey populations will continue to shrink, depriving more of the poorest people of a lifeline and a companion.

Mr Onyango explains: "We never bred our donkeys for mass slaughter."

Prof Johnston says that donkeys have "carried the poor" for millennia. "They carry children, women. They carried Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus," she says.

The Brooke  A child with a donkey

Women and girls, she adds, bear the brunt of the loss when an animal is taken. "Once the donkey is gone, then the women basically become the donkey again," she explains. And there is a bitter irony in that, because Ejiao is marketed primarily to wealthier Chinese women.

It is a remedy that is thousands of years old, believed to have numerous benefits from strengthening the blood to aiding sleep and boosting fertility. But it was a 2011 Chinese TV show called Empresses in the Palace - a fictional tale of an imperial court - that raised the remedy's profile.

"It was clever product placement," explains Prof Johnston. "The women in the show consumed Ejiao every day to stay beautiful and healthy - for their skin and their fertility. It became this product of elite femininity. Ironically, that's now destroying many African women's lives."

Alamy A still of the TV drama "Empresses in the Palace", also known as "The Legend of Zhen Huan"

Steve, who is 24, is worried that, when he lost his donkeys, he lost control over his life and livelihood. "I'm just stranded now," he says.

Working with a local animal welfare charity in Nairobi, the charity Brooke is working to find donkeys for young people - like Steve - who need them to access work and education.

Janneke Merkx, from the Donkey Sanctuary, says the more countries that put legislation in place to protect their donkeys, "the more difficult it will get".

Victoria Gill/BBC Janneke Merkx with one of the donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary

"What we'd like to see is for Ejiao companies to stop importing donkey skins altogether and invest in sustainable alternatives - like cellular agriculture (producing collagen in labs). There are already safe and effective ways to do that."

Faith Burden, the Donkey Sanctuary's deputy chief executive, calls the donkey skin trade "unsustainable and inhumane".

"They're being stolen, potentially walked hundreds of miles, held in a crowded pen and then slaughtered in full view of other donkeys," she says. "They need us to speak up against this."

Brooke  Steve with his new donkey, Joy Lucky

Brooke has now given Steve a new donkey, a female that he has named Joy Lucky, because he feels lucky and joyful to have her.

"I know that she will help me achieve my dreams," he says. "And I'll make sure that she is protected."

'Brutal' donkey skin trade banned in 55 countries

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AI And A Satellite To Spot Harmful Methane Leaks

February 17, 2024

Google has partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to detect methane emissions using AI and a new satellite called MethaneSAT. Methane is a major driver of climate change and this project could lead to the mitigation of some harmful emissions.

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A suite of NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations is on the way to our nearest celestial neighbor for the benefit of humanity. Through this flight to the Moon, they will provide insights into the lunar surface environment and test technologies for future landers and Artemis astronauts.

At 1:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At approximately 1:53 a.m., the lander deployed from the Falcon 9 second stage. Teams confirmed it made communications contact with the company’s mission operations center in Houston. The spacecraft is stable and receiving solar power.

These deliveries are part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, which includes new solar system science to better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for evidence of water and other resources, and support long-term human exploration.

“NASA scientific instruments are on their way to the Moon – a giant leap for humanity as we prepare to return to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “These daring Moon deliveries will not only conduct new science at the Moon, but they are supporting a growing commercial space economy while showing the strength of American technology and innovation. We have so much to learn through CLPS flights that will help us shape the future of human exploration for the Artemis Generation.” 

While enroute to the Moon, NASA instruments will measure the quantity of cryogenic engine fuel as it is used, and during descent toward the lunar surface, they will collect data on plume-surface interactions and test precision landing technologies.

Once on the Moon, NASA instruments will focus on investigating space weather/lunar surface interactions and radio astronomy. The Nova-C lander also will carry retroreflectors contributing to a network of location markers on the Moon for communication and navigation for future autonomous navigation technologies.

NASA science aboard the lander includes:

  • Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator : A small, CubeSat-sized experiment that will demonstrate autonomous navigation that could be used by future landers, surface infrastructure, and astronauts, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other spacecraft, ground stations, or rovers on the move.
  • Laser Retroreflector Array : A collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. The array is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come.   
  • Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing : A Lidar-based (Light Detection and Ranging) guidance system for descent and landing. This instrument operates on the same principles of radar but uses pulses from a laser emitted through three optical telescopes. It will measure speed, direction, and altitude with high precision during descent and touchdown.   
  • Radio Frequency Mass Gauge : A technology demonstration that measures the amount of propellant in spacecraft tanks in a low-gravity space environment. Using sensor technology, the gauge will measure the amount of cryogenic propellant in Nova-C’s fuel and oxidizer tanks, providing data that could help predict fuel usage on future missions.   
  • Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath : The instrument will observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there.
  • Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies : A suite of four tiny cameras to capture imagery showing how the Moon’s surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume during and after descent.

Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C-class lunar lander, named Odysseus, is scheduled to land on the Moon’s South Pole region near the lunar feature known as Malapert A on Thursday, Feb. 22. This relatively flat and safe region is within the otherwise heavily cratered southern highlands on the side of the Moon visible from Earth. Landing near Malapert A will also help mission planners understand how to communicate and send data back to Earth from a location where Earth is low on the lunar horizon.

The NASA science aboard will spend approximately seven days gathering valuable scientific data about Earth’s nearest neighbor, helping pave the way for the first woman and first person of color to explore the Moon under Artemis.

Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

Karen Fox / Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 / 202-358-2546 [email protected] / [email protected]  

Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 [email protected]

Antonia Jaramillo Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-8425 [email protected]

Related Terms

  • Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
  • Marshall Space Flight Center

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Earth Day Science Projects and Activities

Use these free science projects and STEM lessons and activities to celebrate Earth Day and explore related environmental science aimed at using STEM to increase sustainability, protect the Earth, and solve challenges we face for the future.

Solar updraft tower from construction paper, homemade solar oven from pizza box, and soil erosion activity using plants in aluminum tray to represent collection of STEM lessons and activities to teach about Earth Day

Since its start in 1970, Earth Day has become a global day of activism and learning about environmental topics related to protection of the Earth, its natural resources, and species. Climate change, global warming, deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity are just a few of the many environmental issues that threaten the health of our planet. Learning about the science behind these issues is a first step to creating strategies and solutions for conserving energy and natural resources, reusing and recycling materials, protecting habitats and ecosystems, developing safer chemical processes, and slowing global warming.

The free science projects and STEM lessons and activities below offer classes and families a variety of hands-on learning opportunities related to environmental science and Earth Day. In these activities, students can explore the use of STEM to help find and create solutions for global problems related to energy, recycling, sustainability, deforestation, clean water, climate, soil erosion, fossil fuels, and more.

Hands-on Science and Engineering Activities for Earth Day

The 20+ free science and engineering projects and STEM lessons and activities below have been grouped thematically to highlight environmental science challenges and potential STEM-based solutions:

  • Ecological Footprint
  • Other Challenges and Threats to Habitats and Ecosystems

Green Chemistry

  • STEM Solutions

A word bank of vocabulary words is included at the bottom of this post.

Solutions for Sustainable Energy, Alternative Energy Solutions, and the Conservation of Energy

1. rooftop gardens.

Rooftop garden models made from milk cartons

In addition to being beautiful, rooftop gardens (or a living roof) can be a functional and environmentally-friendly addition to a building. Rooftop gardens create new spaces for growing plants and food, and because of photosynthesis, rooftop gardens also remove carbon dioxide from the air and release fresh oxygen we can breathe. Can rooftop gardens also help lower energy bills? In the Sweltering Science: Are Rooftop Gardens a Cool Idea? activity, students investigate to see how effectively rooftop gardens can help control temperature in a building. Do rooftop gardens keep the buildings they sit on cooler? In cities, can these green spaces help minimize the urban heat island effect? ( Note : Students intrigued by this environmental engineering solution can experiment further with the Rooftop Gardens: Are They a Cool Idea? science project.)

2. Pizza Box Solar Oven

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In the Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven activity, students use a recycled cardboard box, like a pizza box, and build a simple solar oven. Can you take advantage of the Sun's heat to cook?

3. Solar Updraft Tower

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In the Build a Solar Updraft Tower activity, students build solar updraft towers from construction paper and use a heat lamp to see how hot air can be funneled up the tower. Could the force of rising air from a solar updraft tower turn turbines, which could then generate electricity?

Be inspired! : See how this family did this activity at home .

4. Wind Turbine

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Use the Make the Wind Work for You! project to make a small model wind turbine to explore how wind can be used to generate energy. Experiment to find out which rotor (blade) design produces the most energy.

5. What Color is Your House?

Brightly colored houses

Have you ever been told that you'll be cooler on a hot day if you wear a light-colored t-shirt rather than a dark one? Does the same reasoning apply to the color a house is painted on the outside? The color a house is painted is often based on personal preference or neighborhood rules, but the color of a house may contribute to how much energy it uses to keep a house cool or warm. In the Can the Color of Your House Reduce Your Energy Footprint? activity, students experiment to see how temperature differs in houses covered in different colors of construction paper. ( Note : Students who want to learn more can experiment further with this environmental engineering project .)

6. Passive Solar Heating

Screenshot from video about using a model house to explore passive solar heating

Can passive solar heating help reduce energy needs and keep houses warm enough without electricity or gas? In the Zero-Energy Housing lesson, students build model houses and explore how design choices, like window placement, insulation, paint colors, and the orientation of the house, play a role in how effective passive solar heating can be. ( Note : This lesson is NGSS-aligned for grades 9-12, but educators may still adapt the lesson for use with other grades.)

Understanding Your Ecological Footprint

7. make a local trash map.

Trash piled up after a beach clean-up.

In the Rapid Trash Assessment lesson, students survey a local area to record the types of trash they find. Investigating to see the correlation between the shape of the Earth's surface and where pollution accumulates, students reference a topographical map of the area and use paper and markers to create a 3-dimensional model of the trash and litter they find.

8. Food Waste Audit

Reducing food waste

"Fresh Food In Garbage Can to Illustrate Waste" by SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.com

Food waste reduces how effectively available food supply is used around the world. In the Food Waste Audit lesson, students track and monitor their own food waste and then analyze patterns of food waste and strategize ways to reduce food waste.

9. Small Changes Add Up! Your Plan, Your Planet

Screenshots of sustainability-themed lessons using Your Plan, Your Planet, online tool

Your Plan, Your Planet is a free, interactive, online tool created by Google in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. With a series of interactive, game-like activities, Your Plan, Your Planet helps students learn more about sustainability and the kinds of changes they can make at the individual and family level to help ensure a healthy planet today and tomorrow. The following lessons can help you do guided exploration using the online tool:

  • Sustainability: How Our Actions Affect the Environment (grade 5)
  • Sustainability: Reduce Your Environmental Impact! (grades 6-8)

Note : These lessons are NGSS-aligned for elementary and middle school educators, but both lessons can be adapted for use with students in other grades or by families at home.

For more information about using Your Plan, Your Planet at home or in the classroom, see: Your Plan, Your Planet for Earth Day .

Be inspired! See this teacher's story about exploring sustainability with students.

Solutions for Clean and Available Water

10. harvesting water from fog.

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Ensuring access to a water supply is a global concern. In the How to Harvest Water from Fog activity, students experiment with a creative approach to harvesting water from the air.

11. Removing Particles from Water

 A series of containers with different amounts of total suspended solids for calibration of the turbidimeter

Even when water is available, it is important to make sure that water is clean and safe to use. In the Drinking Water Cleanup activity, students learn about the challenge of cleaning water that is collected from surface sources (like lakes and rivers) or underground sources. This activity helps students explore one of the first steps of water treatment, which involves removing any solid, floating particles and debris (or total suspended solids (TSS) ) using processes of coagulation and flocculation . ( Note : Students interested in environmental engineering and water processing can explore further with the From Turbid to Clear: How Flocculation Cleans Up Drinking Water project and build and test a turbidity meter.)

12. Filtering Water

Three containers with different substances for filtering water

Cleaning water may also involve filtering water to remove smaller particles and chemicals. There are many approaches to water filtering. In the Time to Spring Clean…Your Water! activity, students investigate the challenge of filtering water and experiment with several approaches using household materials. Capable Carbon Filters is a related activity that focuses specifically on carbon filters. ( Note : Students interested in the science of filtering water for drinking can explore further by experimenting with column filters in the From Contaminated to Clean: How Filtering Can Clean Water project and activated carbon filters in the Which Filtration Material Leads to the Best Drinking Water? project.)

13. Disinfecting Water

PET water bottle under a UV light for SODIS experiment

Filtering water isn't the same as disinfecting water. Water can be cleaned or filtered and may look clear to the naked eye, but the water may still contain dangerous pathogens and be unsafe to drink. In the Learn How to Disinfect Contaminated Water project, students experiment to see how UV light can be used to disinfect water. Solar disinfection (SODIS) is a solution that uses sunlight and plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Understanding Environmental Challenges and Threats to Habitats and Ecosystems

14. rising sea levels.

Two containers with ice and formation to show difference in melting ice at North and South pole, with penguin and polar bear to help differentiate containers

As temperatures increase with global warming, what will happen to the polar ice caps? If they melt, what does this mean for sea levels? In the How Do Melting Polar Ice Caps Affect Sea Levels? activity, students model the Polar and Arctic ice caps to see what happens to the water they contain if they melt. What is the difference in the formation and location of the ice at the North and South Poles?

Note : The Climate Change and Sea Level Rise lesson provides a related lesson that is NGSS-aligned for grades 5-8. In this lesson, students create and use a model to investigate what will happen to sea levels because of global warming.

15. Using Plants to Stop Soil Erosion

Setup with aluminum container filled with soil for experiment on using plants to stop soil erosion

Helping prevent soil runoff is important to reduce erosion and the loss of nutrient rich soils needed for agriculture. Preventing soil runoff is also necessary to reduce the risk of contaminating waterways with fertilizers and pesticides. In the Explore Soil Erosion and See What a Plant Can Do activity, students experiment to see how plants can be used to create barriers that help prevent and reduce soil erosion. ( Note : Students can explore related environmental engineering science with the Can Plants Stop Soil Erosion? and Dust Busters: How No-Plow Farmers Try to Save Our Soil projects.)

16. Cleaning Up Oil Spills

Sea turtle covered in oil

"Oiled Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle" © 2013 NOAA

When an oil spill happens in the ocean, it can threaten marine habitats and ecosystems. While the danger extends throughout the marine layer, students may have heard stories of penguins or sea turtles endangered by oil spills. Unfortunately, oil spills can be difficult to clean up. But why? In the Sorbent Science: Cleaning Up Oil Spills activity, students learn about sorbents, materials that are good at absorbing liquids, and test household materials to see how well they absorb vegetable oil. What sorbents are especially effective for cleaning up oil spills and why? ( Note : For educators, the Slippery Shores: Oil Spill Clean-Up lesson contains a similar hands-on STEM exploration and is NGSS-aligned for grades 4-7.)

17. Fossil Fuel Mining

Chocolate chip cookies

© April

Problems associated with the continued search for and use of fossil fuels, like coal, are frequent topics of discussion in environmental science. In the Fossil Fuels: Chocolate Chip Mining lesson, students do an activity with chocolate chip cookies to better understand the risks mining fossil fuels poses to local habitats.

18. Fossil Fuels and the Greenhouse Effect

Powerplant

"Nuclear Power Plant Cattenom" © 2005 Stefan Kühn

In the Fossil Fuels: Air Pollution and the Greenhouse Effect lesson, students do hands-on activities to model the effects of burning fossil fuels. Using a beaker experiment, students will see how the burning of fossil fuels releases additional greenhouse gases. With a candle experiment, students will see how fossil fuels contribute to air pollution.

19. Mosquitoes, Disease, and Global Warming

A closeup of a mosquito

How does global warming affect habitats and ecosystems? In the Could Climate Change Impact the Mosquito-Human Disease Ecosystem? lesson, students use real-world data about mosquito populations across the United States to investigate the relationship between temperature and mosquito populations. (Note: Mosquitoes carry diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and dengue fever.)

Green chemistry aims to reduce the use and creation of dangerous chemicals and byproducts. Based on 12 core principles, green chemistry involves making choices about chemical reactions and reimagining chemical processes in ways that are environmentally aware, produce less hazardous waste, reduce pollution, and result in cleaner air and water and safer products for everyone. Students can experiment with green chemistry in a range of science projects that help underscore traditional chemical processes that pose environmental risks, both in the lab and in manufacturing and development. In these projects, students investigate and test alternatives that align with the principles of green chemistry.

The following projects help students explore chemical processes and green chemistry alternatives related to the development of fabrics and the use of sunscreens.

20. Seaweed Fabric

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In the Make Sustainable Fabrics from Seaweed project, students learn about the environmental impact of the textile industry and investigate biofabrics as an alternative. Students make multiple samples of seaweed fabric with different amounts of glycerin in the recipe to see how the properties of the fabric, including its tensile strength, change. (For a similar experiment on fabric alternatives, see Grow Vegan Kombucha Leather .)

21. Are Sunscreens Safe for Water Habitats?

Sunscreen bottle on sand

Sunscreens help protect our skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, but are their ingredients safe for marine habitats? In the How Eco-Friendly is Your Sunscreen? science project, students investigate the ingredients and differences in how physical (or mineral ) and chemical sunscreens work. (For a related project, see Testing Sunscreen Effectiveness and Water Solubility .)

For more information about green chemistry and student science, see:

  • New Green Chemistry Science Projects—Sustainable Science for Students
  • Green Chemistry and the School Science Lab - Safer Chemistry for Today and Tomorrow
  • Browse all Green Chemistry resources

Engineering Solutions for Monitoring and Protecting Earth's Ecosystems, Biomes, and Biodiversity

22. design a recycling sorting machine.

environment science project

Recycling helps preserve resources, reduces pollution, and conserves space available in landfills. But recycling can be a complicated process. In the Build a Recycling-Sorting Machine lesson, students explore the challenge of separating materials in single-stream recycling operations and build their own recycling sorting machines to test different methods for separating materials.

23. Spreading Seeds

environment science project

In the Design a Seeding Machine to Counteract Deforestation lesson, students learn about deforestation and then use the engineering design process to design a seeding machine to simulate the process of reforestation. This activity challenges students to design and build a seeding machine that can meet specific design requirements, including the need to accurately drop seeds into certain locations on a seeding chart.

24. Rain Garden

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Make a model rain garden with the Fight Flooding and Pollution with...a Garden?! project and experiment to see how this type of garden can reduce flooding and help fight pollution.

25. Products from Mushroom Roots

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In the Making Everyday Objects Out of Mushrooms: Environmentally Friendly Design activity, students explore biodegradable and sustainable materials and grow their own mycelium to see how mushroom roots can be grown and used as an environmentally-friendly material for everyday products like flower pots and containers. What other items could you make with this material?

Bowls and planters made from mycelium mushroom roots

26. Environmental Monitoring and Protecting Nature with Technology

A homemade soil moisture sensor inserted into the ground next to a pinecone

When it comes to effectively monitoring environmental issues, sensor-based technologies may be an important part of the solution. Sensors providing real-time monitoring can help make individuals, agencies, and scientists aware of problems (dangerously high or low levels of something being monitored, for example) and can enable systems of effective and timely response to problems. Sensor-based tools may also be programmed to make changes and take action based on certain conditions.

In the Environmental Monitoring lesson, middle school students think about human impact on the environment and work in groups to develop circuits that can measure specific environmental variables, including the presence or absence of water (or other conductive liquid); the pH, CO2, color, or turbidity of a liquid sample; or the brightness of a light source. As part of their exploration, students build and test a light sensor circuit, a conductivity meter, or a moisture detector.

In the Protecting Nature with Technology lesson, high school students use sensor technology to quantify human impact on the environment and brainstorm ways to use this information to protect the environment and reduce human impact. Possible areas of exploration include light pollution/air quality, water quality, electrical conductivity, and water levels.

Related Resource for Teaching About and Exploring Environmental Science

  • Biodiversity : For educator resources to teach about biodiversity, see Teach About Biodiversity with Free STEM Lessons & Activities .

Earth Day Vocabulary

The following word bank contains words that may be covered when teaching about environmental science and Earth Day using the lessons and activities in this resource.

  • Alternate energy
  • Biodiversity
  • Carbon footprint
  • Climate change
  • Coagulation
  • Conservation
  • Deforestation
  • Drinking water treatment plant
  • Ecological footprint
  • Energy conservation
  • Environmental science
  • Flocculation
  • Fossil fuels
  • Living roof
  • Non-renewable energy (or resource)
  • Reforestation
  • Renewable energy (or resource)
  • Rooftop garden
  • Solar disinfection (SODIS)
  • Solar power
  • Sustainability
  • Total suspended solids (TSS)
  • Urban heat island effect

Books for Your Shelves

If you and your students are interested in biodiversity, Earth Day, and environmental science, the following Science Buddies books may be a good addition to your classroom or home library shelves!

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  • Thematic Collections

Collections like this help educators find themed activities in a specific subject area or discover activities and lessons that meet a curriculum need. We hope these collections make it convenient for teachers to browse related lessons and activities. For other collections, see the Teaching Science Units and Thematic Collections lists. We encourage you to browse the complete STEM Activities for Kids and Lesson Plans areas, too. Filters are available to help you narrow your search.

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Environmental Project Specialist

Integral Ecology Research Center (Private) | https://www.iercecology.org/

Description

  • Conduct data collection at remote field sites, including soil, water, and vegetation sampling
  • Conduct documentation, reclamation, and restoration tasks on various habitat projects, including illegal cannabis cultivation sites on public and private lands
  • Assist with various wildlife surveys such as remote camera surveys, carnivore tracking, stream and river surveys for amphibians and reptiles and eDNA collection, other direct and indirect monitoring of wildlife
  • Assist with data entry, management, and analysis using multiple software packages (e.g. ArcPro Survey123, Access/Excel)
  • Coordinate specific aspects of environmental projects under supervision of Program Manager
  • Assist with writing and literature searches for reports, publications, and grant proposals
  • Communicate effectively with IERC staff & work cooperatively with external collaborators in other disciplines
  • Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Wildlife, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or similar discipline
  • A minimum of one season of field experience
  • Proficiency with Geographic Information Systems software (ArcGIS or ArcPro, Google Earth)
  • Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint), Office365
  • Clean driving record and ability to pass a background security clearance and drug test
  • Ability to proficiently drive vehicles in 4-wheel drive conditions
  • Ability to perform strenuous physical activity, hike long distances carrying 40 lbs., and work extended hours in remote conditions
  • Ability to travel throughout California, Nevada, and Oregon and camp or stay at project locations for up to eight nights at a time
  • Willingness and ability to work effectively and collaboratively with law enforcement and other outside partners
  • Willingness to obtain and utilize HAZWOPER 40-hour certification
  • Willingness to work under and travel within or under helicopters
  • Proven ability to proficiently operate a chainsaw, or chainsaw certification
  • ATV certification

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Environmental Science Science Projects

    Environmental Science Science Projects (56 results) Featured Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge! Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies! Open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January. Explore the current challenge as well as ones from past years! Read more

  2. Environmental Science Projects, Lessons, Activities

    Environmental Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (78 results) Featured Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge! Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies! Open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January. Explore the current challenge as well as ones from past years! Read more

  3. High School, Environmental Science Science Projects

    High School, Environmental Science Science Projects (30 results) Select a resource Filter by Sort by Featured Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge! Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies! Open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January.

  4. Science Fair Project Ideas for Environmental Problems

    Here are some science fair project ideas that involve environmental science problems. Environmental Processes Does the pH of rain or other precipitation (snow) vary according to the season? Is the pH of rain the same as the pH of soil? Can you use a plant to gauge the level of air pollution? Can you use plants to remove air pollutants?

  5. Environmental Science Fair Projects: 30 Eco Friendly Ideas

    Here are some ideas for environmental science fair projects: Water Science Fair Projects: 1. How does the water cycle work? [Create a working model] 2. Where does fresh water come from? [Do the demonstration in " Water, Water Everywhere ."] 3. How do we clean dirty water to make it clean enough to drink?

  6. Science Fair Environmental Project Ideas

    Science Fair Fun: Designing Science Fair Projects - This EPA booklet provides students in grades 6-8 with ideas and resources for developing environmental science fair projects about reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials. Energy Kids: Science Fair Experiments - Want to learn about energy or do a science fair project on energy?

  7. Science Fair Fun: Designing Environmental Science Projects

    Science Fair Fun: Designing Environmental Science Projects This booklet is a step-by-step guide to help you design an exciting science fair project that focuses on the 3Rs of waste management—reduce, reuse, and recycle. Use your science fair project to show how the 3Rs lead to resource conservation.

  8. Environmental sciences

    Atom. RSS Feed. Environmental science is the multidisciplinary study of all aspects of the Earth's physical and biological environments. It encompasses environmental chemistry, soil science ...

  9. Introduction to Environmental Science Specialization

    Applied Learning Project. The three courses comprising the Introduction to Environmental Science Specialization utilize video lectures; case studies from various sites in and around Dartmouth; interviews with experts; readings; both prompted and open discussions; and one graded quiz per module. Read more.

  10. 100+ Environmental Science Research Topics

    Here, we'll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics. NB - This is just the start…

  11. The Ultimate Environmental Science Project List: 50 Ideas for a

    The Ultimate Environmental Science Project List: 50 Ideas for a Sustainable Future By: Angela Smith April 24, 2023 Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the complex interactions between humans and the natural world.

  12. Ideas for environmental learning projects

    We have a collection of project ideas that cover a number of issues relating to the natural environment. Recycling water Renewable Energy Habitat Model Organic Garden Ideas for environmental learning projects

  13. Environmental Science Science Projects

    Environmental Science Science Projects (12 results) Featured Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge! Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies! Open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January. Explore the current challenge as well as ones from past years! Read more The Big Dig

  14. Climate

    From machine learning to data visualization, data science techniques are used to study the effects of climate change on marine biology, land use and restoration, food systems, patterns of change in vector borne diseases, and other climate-related issues. Data science is a powerful tool to help researchers understand the uncertainties and ...

  15. 50 Best Environmental Science Research Topics

    Environmental science research can help reduce deforestation by identifying strategies to help countries sustainably manage their natural resources. Environmental Science Topics (Continued) 5) Urban Ecology. When we think of "the environment," our brains often conjure up images of majestic mountain ranges and lush green forests.

  16. 14 innovative projects helping to build a better world

    COVID-19. Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address the world's most pressing problems. The initiative seeks sustainable solutions to tackle issues such as climate change and social injustice. Projects are also aimed at tackling the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic. The importance of sustainable solutions came to ...

  17. New research effort will consolidate tools to manage salt contamination

    A multi-institution research group of scientists and engineers led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has been awarded a $650K Phase 1 grant by the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Convergence Accelerator to develop and prototype tools to help monitor and manage decision-making around this emerging issue.

  18. Scientists Resort to Once-Unthinkable Solutions to Cool the Planet

    Three geoengineering projects seek to alter the chemistry of the atmosphere and the ocean. Critics warn of unintended consequences.

  19. New 'time travel' study reveals future impact of climate change on

    A new study offers a glimpse into the possible impact of climate change on coastal wetlands 50 years or longer into the future. Scientists are usually forced to rely on computer models to project ...

  20. 135 new projects in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources

    The projects are expected to reduce environmental degradation, halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity and better manage natural resources. ... and to developing an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science. In addition, projects should reduce observation gaps in the land-sea interface area, and ...

  21. Water Quality

    One common pollutant in a water supply is lead in old pipes or paints that can leach into the water and cause lead poisoning. There are different kits available for testing the presence of lead and other contaminants in water. Test your water supply, and also the water in some local ponds, lakes or streams. The same contaminants that can harm ...

  22. Laboratory Learning Program 2024

    Research Opportunity Number: (CBE-07) Project Title: Hydrogels for environmental remediation Project Summary: Hydrogels have emerged as promising soft materials for sustainable and off-grid water purification and harvesting. However, the low water production rate well below daily human demand is a current impediment to technology translation.

  23. Road project promising access to Indigenous Waorani is ushering in

    The project has been met with mixed reactions from communities, according to the president of the Waorani Nation, and an Indigenous guard group has been deployed to ensure environmental standards ...

  24. Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicine

    To sell water and make his living, Steve relied completely on his donkeys. They pulled him in his cart loaded with its 20 jerry cans to all his customers. When Steve's donkeys were stolen for ...

  25. Environmental Science Science Projects

    In this project you will experiment with creating environmentally friendly jelly-like materials called hydrogels and see if they can help soil retain water thus reducing the amount of water needed to grow crops. Read more Going Green as You Clean: Are 'Green' Detergents Less Toxic Than Conventional Detergents? Add Favorite More Menu

  26. AI And A Satellite To Spot Harmful Methane Leaks

    Google has partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to detect methane emissions using AI and a new satellite called MethaneSAT. Methane is a major driver of climate change and this project ...

  27. NASA Artemis Science, First Intuitive Machines Flight Head to Moon

    Through this flight to the Moon, they will provide insights into the lunar surface environment and test technologies for future landers and Artemis astronauts. At 1:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

  28. Earth Day Science Projects and Activities

    Earth Day Science Projects and Activities By Amy Cowen on April 11, 2023 1:00 PM Use these free science projects and STEM lessons and activities to celebrate Earth Day and explore related environmental science aimed at using STEM to increase sustainability, protect the Earth, and solve challenges we face for the future.

  29. Environmental Project Specialist

    Overview: Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC) is seeking a passionate, motivated, and adaptable Environmental Project Specialist to join our dynamic team!As an Environmental Project Specialist, successful applicants will have the unique opportunity to work alongside our interdisciplinary science team and develop their science skills while supporting multiple research and active ...