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The theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.” CU �鶹ӰԺ researchers explore ways to eliminate the proliferation of plastic waste and much, much more. They crunch expansive datasets to provide the world with the best possible knowledge and research on the impacts of a changing climate. They develop technologies to reduce emissions and slow the rate of climate change.

Learn about some of CU �鶹ӰԺ's exciting research projects as you ponder the importance of Earth Day this year.

We’re drowning in single-use plastics. Here’s why and what we can do about it

CU �鶹ӰԺ Professor Phaedra Pezzullo discusses her new book “Beyond Straw Man,” on the online and offline controversies regarding the global social movement to ban plastics.

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Researchers take major step toward developing next-generation solar cells

A CU �鶹ӰԺ engineer and his international colleagues discovered a new way to manufacture solar cells using perovskite semiconductors. It could lead to lower-cost, more efficient systems for powering homes, cars, boats and drones.

Why the first Earth Day went viral (pre-social media)

If you were at CU �鶹ӰԺ in April 1970, you were likely very aware of the first Earth Day. Two CU �鶹ӰԺ professors explain Earth Day’s history, impact, what it’s become and if it’s still relevant.

 

The future of recycling could one day mean dissolving plastic with electricity

Every year, consumers in the U.S. produce millions of tons of plastic waste, and most of it winds up in landfills. Chemists at CU �鶹ӰԺ are taking a first step toward making all that trash vanish.

 

Can rocks produce abundant clean energy?

Geologists at CU �鶹ӰԺ will experiment with injecting water deep below Earth's surface in an effort to stimulate the production of hydrogen gas—a clean-burning fuel that could provide energy for the globe.

Cities of the future may be built with algae-grown limestone

The Living Materials Laboratory is scaling up the manufacture of carbon-neutral cement as well as cement products, which can slowly pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it.

Inspired by palm trees, scientists develop hurricane-resilient wind turbines

Results from real-world tests of a downwind turbine could inform and improve the wind energy industry in a world with intensifying hurricanes and a greater demand for renewable energy.