Where did Earth Day go?
A USC Sustainability Earth Week banner in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Michael Chow)

As Monday marks the 53rd anniversary of Earth Day, USC has become part of a concerning trend; a decline in participation of environmental initiatives.

Elevating the social justice impact of climate change
Many hands holding up a globe.

The increase in climate-related disasters and pollution disproportionately impacts marginalized communities around the world. This makes climate change a core social justice issue.

Keck Medical Center of USC receives sustainability award
Miguel Gonzalez, associate administrator of support services for Keck Medicine of USC and Erwin Morales, administrative director of plant maintenance who suggested the water conservation strategy. (Photo/Courtesy of Miguel Gonzalez)

On April 17, the 2024 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Awards recognized Keck Medical Center of USC for finding a way to save over 1.7 million gallons of water in a single year.

Jane Fonda brings her story of climate activism to USC
USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay, left, and Jane Fonda, center, are introduced by Allison Agsten, director of USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication. (USC Photo/Alan Mittelstaedt)

Jane Fonda knew that the best way to draw in a standing room only audience to discuss climate change was by telling stories and speaking from the heart. “This is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing: talking to young people like you all because you can make the difference,” Fonda…

USC Wrigley Institute Selects 2024 Storymakers
A close-up of flowers on a cliffside in the spring.

The USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability is pleased to announce the 2024 cohort of Wrigley Institute Storymakers fellows.

AI bridges the gap between data and dialogue for climate journalism
AI-generated image of a woman in a busy, brightly-lit office.

We stand at the nexus of an information glut and an action deficit — particularly when it comes to defining the crisis of our time: climate change.

200 adventures in 24 hours: First ‘Questival’ at USC
A collage of students holding Questival stickers.

From passing encouraging notes in Leavey Library to slam dunking in Venice, Cotopaxi’s famous Questival adventure race led Trojans to explore L.A. while doing good for the community.

Political leaders, scholars and activists discuss challenges ahead at Climate Forward Conference
Neera Tanden, domestic policy advisor to President Joe Biden.

The fifth annual event packed Town and Gown on Thursday afternoon and featured several discussions and Q&As.

USC Researchers are Developing AI-Enhanced Safety Inspections for Nuclear Waste
Illustration of a nuclear safety inspector with the text, "We inspect spent nuclear fuel canisters using sensors and AI!"

Researchers in the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering are tackling one of the most complex problems facing the U.S. Department of Energy: how to safely handle and store “spent” nuclear fuel.

Ancient canoe revival highlights Indigenous sustainability practices and ocean conservation
Members of the Ti’at Society paddle their traditional Tongva plank canoe, Moomat Ahiko (“Breath of the Ocean”), off the coast of Southern California’s Santa Catalina Island. (Photo: Frank Magallanes and Althea Edwards.)

The first Tongva “ti’at” built in centuries finds a permanent exhibit and helps highlight Native American sustainable maritime traditions.