Through
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Ecology
A call for tools to navigate the future of the Delaware River watershed
A call for tools to navigate the future of the Delaware River watershed
The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities is partnering with Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum to solicit designs for tools to help Delaware River watershed residents adapt and respond to climate change and other ecological challenges.
From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
From corals to humans, a shared trigger for sperm to get in motion
Coral sperm require a specific pH to move, according to research from the School of Arts & Sciences, which identifies a signaling pathway that is shared by organisms including humans. The results inform how corals may fare with climate change.
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
To improve climate models, an international team turns to archaeological data
The project, called LandCover6k, offers a new classification system that the researchers hope will improve predictions about the planet’s future and fill in gaps about its past.
Declines in shellfish species on rocky seashores match climate-driven changes
Declines in shellfish species on rocky seashores match climate-driven changes
Mussels, barnacles, and snails are declining in the Gulf of Maine, according to a new paper by biologists Peter Petraitis of the School of Arts & Sciences and Steve Dudgeon of California State University, Northridge. Their 20-year dataset reveals that the populations’ steady dwindling matches up with the effects of climate change on the region.
Merging big data and marine biology
Merging big data and marine biology
Junior Ashna Sethi found an opportunity to delve into one of her passions this summer with paleobiologist Lauren Sallan’s lab in the School of Arts & Sciences.
Illuminating interactions between decision-making and the environment
Illuminating interactions between decision-making and the environment
With a unifying model based in game theory, Andrew Tilman, Joshua Plotkin, and Erol Akçay of the School of Arts and Sciences inform dynamics in fields as diverse as ecology and economics.
Urban planning for biodiversity after bushfires
Urban planning for biodiversity after bushfires
The Weitzman School’s Richard Weller visited Sydney for a two-week intensive on critical urban challenges and converting a parkland into an incubator for wildlife.
‘An Atlas for the Green New Deal’
‘An Atlas for the Green New Deal’
The McHarg Center releases a new collection of maps and datascapes capturing the spatial consequences of climate change in support of a coordinated national response.
Exploring cryptocurrency and blockchain in Iceland
Exploring cryptocurrency and blockchain in Iceland
A virtual reality film, photo series, and soundscape from Penn and Rutgers document the effect this fast-growing tech industry is having on the country’s natural resources and people.
Fruit flies’ microbiomes shape their evolution
Fruit flies’ microbiomes shape their evolution
In just five generations, an altered microbiome can lead to genome-wide evolution in fruit flies, according to new research led by Paul Schmidt and postdoc Seth Rudman of the School of Arts and Sciences.
In the News
The New Yorker
The little-known world of caterpillars
Dan Janzen of the School of Arts & Sciences explains how the climate crisis has led to catastrophic declines in insect numbers.
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CNN
Wealthy American homes have carbon footprints 25% higher than low-income residences, study says
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said that the large homes owned by wealthy people require excess energy, but that low-income homes may also produce significant emissions because of the high cost of energy-efficient renovations and new appliances.
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Bloomberg
How to grow green
Daniel Aldana Cohen of the School of Arts & Sciences has proposed that grants be made to help replace aging utility systems in low-income and public housing.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Not over the hill: ‘Design With Nature,’ Ian McHarg’s landmark book of ecological design turns 50
Bill Whitaker of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about Penn landscape architect Ian McHarg’s influence on ecological design and city planning. “He realized that people paid attention when you had scientific information and you had hard facts,” said Whitaker.
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