Sustainability

Jason Courtmanche presents first place to a middle school student at a 2018 award ceremony for Letters About Litrerature.

Their Efforts Today Will Impact the State, and the World, for Decades to Come

UConn researchers working in the environment, documenting people’s lives during the pandemic, and teaching children to write better will have profound implications in the future

Andy Sadlon '80 is looking to reinvigorate an old energy technology for a new era.

How an Alumnus-Run Company is Putting a New Spin on an Ancient Renewable Energy

Making hydroelectric power affordable and compact for an era where clean energy is in growing demand

blue whale in the ocean

Opening Protected Area Off New England Coast to Commercial Fishing Compromises Protections

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is wildlife-rich area

Throwing Nitrogen Out with the Stormwater: UConn Extension Educator, Team Helps Coastal Communities Reduce Runoff Pollution

A team of UConn researchers is training students and providing coastal municipalities in Connecticut with green infrastructure plans to reduce stormwater runoff

Climate models predict that Long Island Sound will rise 20 inches in the next 30 years. On the left, the image shows a typical flood plus 20 inches; on the right, a 100 year flood similar to Hurricane Sandy, plus 20 inches. The color scale shows the flood water level: green < 0.5 feet (0.5’), yellow is between 0.5’ and 1’, orange between 1’ and 2’, and red is flooding over 2’. Flooding at the 2’ level washes away cars and SUVs and undermines many structures.

For Future Flood Control, Cities Need Strategy

What we consider a 100-year event is a conservative version of a 10-year event plus 20 inches—what will be a normal flood in 2050

The snake's flickering tongue generates two pairs of small, swirling masses of air, or vortices, that act like tiny fans, pulling odors in from each side and jetting them directly into the path of each tongue tip.

Smelling in Stereo: The Real Reason Snakes Have Flicking, Forked Tongues

Long misunderstood, snake tongues have fascinated naturalists for centuries

CIRCA scholars are working to help Connecticut policymakers and towns adapt best practices for climate resilience to the Nutmeg State.

Expanding Climate Resilience with Forward-Thinking Policy Initiatives

Looking to other states for best practices and adapting them for Connecticut's needs

Understanding flood damage risks is especially important in Connecticut, where high density development is common along the shoreline.

Don’t Get Soaked: Flood Damage Could Lessen if Cities Build Smarter

More pavement means more damage from floods

Some 'hot spots' in Fairfield and New Haven counties have seen average temperatures climb by five to 10 degrees over the past two decades.

CIRCA Webinar Presents Changes to Land Surface Temperature, Land Use in New Haven, Fairfield Counties

'Heat islands' in urban areas have experienced a five-to-10-degree temperature increase over the past 20 years

Dead bug with title of story across it

Confronting the ‘Insect Apocalypse’

A period of mass extinction threatens insects - and the humans and animals who depend on them