An article from WHYY reports that the Trump administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) has canceled more than $7.5 billion in clean energy project funding, disproportionately affecting Democratic-led states such as Delaware and New Jersey. The move, which Democrats have condemned as politically motivated, slashes funding for hundreds of renewable energy initiatives—including solar, wind, and hydrogen projects—and could lead to higher …
In a bold step toward climate action, leading microbiology societies and organizations have unveiled their first joint global strategy to harness the power of microbial science in addressing the climate crisis. This landmark strategy has been published across 6 scientific journals, including FEMS Microbiology Ecology, mBio, Microbiology Australia, Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, Sustainable Microbiology and The ISME Journal. This editorial, called “Microbes without borders: uniting societies …
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute invited RCEI Affiliate Aziz Ezzat, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering to participate in a congressional briefing on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the climate and energy space that took place in a packed room of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. September 25, 2025. The briefing included congressional staff, …
RCEI, in collaboration with Rutgers Department of Human Ecology, hosted a September 29, 2025 forum at which Rutgers experts discussed recent U.S. government-led efforts to repeal greenhouse gas regulations in the United States and the scientific community’s rapid responses to these efforts. The forum featured RCEI affiliates William Hallman, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Ecology, Robert Kopp, Distinguished Professor …
As the planet warms, communities around the world are looking for simple, affordable ways to stay safe in rising temperatures. In rural Burkina Faso, where homes can be up to 10 degrees hotter inside than the air outside, residents face dangerous heat nearly all year round. A new study published in BMC Public Health explored whether “cool roofs” — special …
Coastal communities are on the frontlines of climate change. Rising seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding put homes, infrastructure, and lives at risk, especially social and economically vulnerable communities, such as Puerto Rico. A new study published in Scientific Reports introduces an innovative, AI-powered framework to track and analyze coastal water levels in places that lack advanced monitoring systems. …
An article from The New Indian highlights how James Shope, RCEI Affiliate and Assistant Extension Specialist in Climate Services at Rutgers University, presented New Jersey’s innovative approach to climate education at the NYC Green School Conference. The piece focuses on a statewide, multi-university program that brings together four institutions to provide region-specific climate education. This initiative, supported by the “Expanding …
Keeping the lights on during storms, blackouts, or equipment failures is a growing challenge as we shift toward renewable energy. A new study published in Computers & Industrial Engineering explores how advanced artificial intelligence (AI) can help design microgrids—localized energy systems that combine solar, wind, batteries, and other sources—to be both cost-effective and highly reliable. The study was co-authored by …
As more wind farms around the world get older, big decisions need to be made: should they keep running, be upgraded with new parts, or be shut down completely? Answering these questions requires accurate assessments of their reliability—how frequently failures occur and how costly those failures are. A new study in the journal Wind Energy takes a close look at …
“My biggest takeaway was that your Rutgers experience is what you make of it.” This comment from Meishka Mitchell, a new lecturer in the Department of Human Ecology, came after attending the SEBS Early Career Faculty Retreat in late August. In this event coordinated by the SEBS Office of Research and hosted at Rutgers Gardens, more than 50 early-career SEBS …
