fashion
Sustainable Fashion: How Individual Actions Can Make a Big Impact
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Mia Bachrack ’25 and Prof. Margaret Frey, human centered design, discuss techniques to promote fashion sustainability in the midst of climate change and the pandemic.
bitcoin
‘It Cannot Get Any Worse’: Cornell Professors Decry Energy Costs of NY Bitcoin Mining
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The next time someone invests in a fraction of a bitcoin, they can thank the thousands of computational devices guzzling energy to solve a math problem at a Finger Lakes power plant. A former public coal-powered plant turned private Bitcoin mining operation located just off the shore of Seneca Lake, Greenidge Generation, is currently vying to renew its license to continue operations. Cornell professors are arguing that this renewal could bring millions of tons of carbon emissions to the state.
With the facility on the cusp of receiving a license renewal, faculty like Prof. Eswar Prasad, applied economics and policy, insist that allowing Bitcoin mining in power plants would be an unbefitting use of energy as the increasingly detrimental effects of climate change continue to take shape. Bitcoin mining, explained
“Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency,” Prasad said. “In other words, anyone with a computer could conduct transactions without relying on traditional paper currency or having a credit card or bank account, and without having to reveal their real identities.”
As volatile as the currency is, the value of bitcoin has skyrocketed over the course of the last 10 years, jumping from just a fraction of a penny to well over $45,000.
Science
Experts Break Down the Hidden Energy Costs of Campus Construction
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As noise levels and dust particles mark the University’s expansion and renovation of campus, so do concerns over the sustainability of these extended projects.
Featured in Category
New Initiative Unites Cornell and Ithaca in Nation’s ‘Most Aggressive’ Sustainability Program
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On Sept. 24, Cornell University and the City and Town of Ithaca officially became the first partnership between a college campus and a city to be recognized by the United Nations in working toward the U.N.’s sustainability goals.
Science
Cornellians Drive Development of Electric Vehicles in Collaboration with Toyota
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Cornell researchers are collaborating with the Toyota Research Institute to employ materials science and artificial intelligence in search of eco-friendly batteries that can be produced in the lab.
Bill De Blasio
Ben Furnas ’06 Appointed to Top NYC Environmental Position
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Ben Furnas ’06 was appointed director of the New York Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability — the organization responsible for reducing carbon emissions and physical waste by managing roadways, rethinking public transportation and optimizing the electrical grid.
Columns
HARTE | Unsustainable Science
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As reducing and reusing have a more positive environmental impact than recycling, research institutions should support labs in lowering their plastic consumption. They can even go so far as to ban plastics. Leeds University and University College London have pledged to eliminate all single-use plastics on campus by 2023 and 2024 respectively. Institutional action will be key in reaching these goals.
TCAT
TCAT Releases New Electric Bus Fleet, Acting on Sustainability Goals
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A new fleet of electric buses equipped with Wi-Fi and GPS have been released by TCAT, aiming to increase ridership and keeping with TCAT sustainability goals.
Agriculture
‘Our Changing Menu’ Brings Climate Consciousness to the Dinner Table
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The days of drinking coffee on the way to work or school may be numbered — experts warn that climate change has the power to deplete the production of this much beloved beverage, in addition to many other fan-favorite foods.
“Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying,” said Prof. Emeritus Michael Hoffmann, entomology.
alternative recycling
Cornell University Sustainable Design Aims to Reduce Waste and Food Insecurity
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Once a coordinated effort to give heaps of gently used microfridges and lamps a new home, Cornell’s annual Dump and Run pop-up has taken a back seat for the past year. Now, Cornell University Sustainable Design is breathing new life into the effort to reduce waste in Ithaca by both swapping in-person sales with a sleek app to streamline the reuse of items students leave behind.