Initiative leaders have identified five key environmental research areas where Stanford has existing strengths that hold the greatest potential for breakthroughs. Transformative research is already under way in each of these areas.

Freshwater

How can society maintain freshwater resources and provide water to growing populations around the world? Stanford researchers in the biophysical and social sciences and engineering are addressing this and related questions through projects that include improving methods of evaluating and managing groundwater and surface water, supplying freshwater and sanitation services to developing communities, decontaminating drinking water, increasing water-use efficiency, and reducing the impact of agriculture and other land uses on water systems.

Land Use and Conservation

How does society meet expanding needs for living and farming space without destroying the natural assets that support these services? Stanford researchers are studying new conservation methods; predicting the environmental and food-security consequences of increased global demand for protein; exploring more efficient fertilizer and water-use practices; examining the societal and economic value of ecosystem services; ensuring the future sustainability of "working landscapes"—farms, ranches, and urban areas—and protecting their local species; restoring degraded land; and guaranteeing an adequate future food supply with reduced impacts on air, water, and biodiversity.

Climate and Energy

How can society generate energy that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally benign? Under the auspices of the new Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford scholars are searching for new clean energy sources, devising strategies to reduce demand and increase efficient energy use, studying and predicting the effects of energy consumption on the environment, analyzing energy markets and institutions, and assessing policies that can improve energy decision making.

Oceans and Estuaries

With the rise in demands on ocean species and rapid changes in coastal environments, how can society preserve the health of the planet's oceans? Stanford researchers are working on projects that include finding ways to make the oceans healthier for humans; restoring wild tuna fisheries; examining the effects of coastal development and climate change on coral reefs, kelp forests, and sea grass communities; looking at traditional aquacultural impacts and proposing viable alternatives; stabilizing persistent organic contaminants in sediments; and looking at past and present climate change along with the future role that oceans might play in either intensifying or mediating climate shifts.

Sustainable Built Environment

How can society implement sustainable design and construction practices that reduce the energy demands and carbon emissions from buildings and infrastructure, which account for some 40 percent of the energy used in industrialized countries? Stanford researchers are developing high-performance building materials, new means for encouraging sustainable behaviors, innovative financing methods, and public policies that confront climate change and rising sea levels.