Sustainability stories from the greater USC community in Los Angeles, the media and other organizations.
USC’s sustainability initiatives produce remarkable results
EARTH MONTH: The practical action USC has taken to become more sustainable is making a real impact. Read the story and watch the videos.
USC Researchers Develop Plastic Substitute from Mineral Found in Seashells
Biomedical engineers at USC Viterbi have created a new biocompatible material that is safe for marine life and avoids harmful microplastics.
Making climate action “cheaper, faster, better”
Climate investor, former presidential candidate and best-selling author Tom Steyer has had a career spanning many disciplines, but at the core of his work is a relentless commitment to climate action, which he sees as both a necessity and a historic economic opportunity.
- USC celebrates environmentalism and art at the annual Arts & Climate Collective festival
Murals, music, and locally-grown food were showcased to display the importance of environmentalism. - Recap of event: How to be a Sustainable Trojan
To celebrate Earth Month, USC Staff Assembly invited Lilian Ledesma from the USC Office of Sustainability to present on How to be a Sustainable Trojan. - Powering Up Lithium Valley
Southern California’s Imperial Valley is a region of economic distress and environmental trauma. Can untapped lithium reserves near the Salton Sea fuel a clean-energy economy — and a more prosperous future? - Housing 10x Symposium Will Respond to Housing and Climate Crises
On April 11, 2025, USC School of Architecture will host the symposium, Housing 10x: A Platform to Accelerate Innovative Responses to the Housing and Climate Crises. - USC Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab and Greif Center Host Pitch Contest Aimed at Global Impact
At USC’s Hult Prize Competition, students presented ideas toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a chance at $1 million. - New USC Graduate Program to Train Tomorrow’s Energy Technology Leaders
USC Viterbi launches a unique multidisciplinary MS in Energy Engineering for students who are passionate about solving our critical global challenges in energy transition. - Study: Extreme Heat May Speed Up Aging in Older Adults
People in neighborhoods that experience more days of high heat show faster aging at the molecular level than residents of cooler regions, say USC researchers. - Sustainability leader Chris Boone installed as USC Price dean
During Monday’s event, USC Price’s new dean gave credit to a family that taught him the value of higher education. - Coastal erosion threatens this ancient city — and others much closer to home
USC research on the vanishing coastlines of Alexandria, Egypt, offers nature-based solutions for protecting coastal cities globally, including those in California. - How the oil industry and growing political divides turned climate change into a partisan issue
The climate policy pendulum is swinging back again with Trump in office. Money, lobbying and talking about red vs. blue states all play a role in the political and public divide. - Could Crowdsourcing Hold the Key to Early Wildfire Detection?
USC researchers develop low-cost wildfire detection system to accurately detect wildfires minutes—even seconds—after they ignite. - Why Do Wildfires Increase Flood Risk?
An expert on fluid dynamics shares how engineers can help mitigate flooding after major wildfires. - A Natural Approach to Wildfire Prevention: Banana Tress and AI
How two innovative approaches – nature-based fire buffers and AI-powered wildfire detection – show promise in tackling the growing wildfire risk. - Price PhD student wins top prize for e-scooter travel research
Naomi Lee, a PhD candidate at the USC Price School of Public Policy, has won the Western Regional Science Association’s (WRSA) Charles M. Tiebout Prize for best student-authored paper. - Yo-Ichiro Hakomori’s Latest Residential Design Offers Lessons After LA Wildfires
One week into the new year and Los Angeles was on fire. The Palisades and Eaton wildfires had been raging for a full day when a new one broke out in the Hollywood Hills. From their four-level hillside home beneath the Hollywood sign, Nina and Andreas Grueter could see flames in the distance. - Has climate change contributed to the L.A. fires? Expert: ‘Definitely.’
We asked Adam Rose, a Professor (Research) at the USC Price School of Public Policy, about the link between climate change and the fires ravaging Los Angeles County this week. - USC men’s basketball zero waste ‘green game’ a sustainability win
The annual event puts a spotlight on USC’s efforts to reduce waste through reuse, recycling and composting. - Could Africa’s largest water dispute be avoided with open science?
Researchers suggest a framework for sharing the Nile’s water and hydropower resources under prolonged drought. - Want to raise concern about climate change? Tell someone’s story
A new study co-written by a USC professor finds that indirect experience with severe weather drives public concern about climate change around the world. - Code Green
By upcycling plastics, reducing environmentally harmful anesthesia gases and transforming medical supply chains, the USC health system and health sciences schools are working to shrink health care’s carbon footprint. - Aroussiak Gabrielian’s research and design work reimagines AI
What if artificial intelligence systems were built differently? How might they function if they were modeled not on human intelligence, but rather on plant intelligence? - USC-led CLIMA Center awarded $4.1 million by NIH to study impact of wildfire smoke and extreme heat on human health
With a $4.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, USC researchers will characterize climate-related exposures and gaps in adaptation capacity to understand their combined impacts on human health.