Making Headlines
The following articles reflect our commitment to share sustainability-related accomplishments across the university — representing its colleges, departments, institutes, centers and other units — in the areas of research, student engagement, campus stewardship and collaborations with the public and private sectors.
KCBS, 8-Jan-19
The most vital thing a human needs is clean water. But in some parts of the world that's not that easy to come by. Now a pair of recent studies is looking for solutions from nature and how life can survive in the desert despite limited access to water. ALSO: 3ders.org: 3D printing dew collectors that pull water out of desert air ALSO: After the Shift: Collecting Clean Water From Air ALSO: The Virginia Engineer: Studies For Collecting Clean Water From Air Inspired By Nature ...
Featured expert(s): Bharat Bhushan, Ohio Eminent Scholar and Howard D. Winbigler Professor of mechanical engineering
WCMH-TV, 7-Jan-19
Soggy fields and lawns are still the rule in early January, following the wettest year in Columbus' history, with official records back to 1879. During 2018, John Glenn Columbus International Airport received 55.18 inches, eclipsing 2011 (54.96 inches). Other parts of the city had even more, including 57.91 inches on the northwest side of town. In Hocking County, an observer in Rockbridge measured 65.19 for the year. In late December, a task force of climate scientists from Ohio State's Byrd Polar Climate and Research Center issued a 125-page report that was presented to a panel of Columbus officials, listing ways the city could ease the impacts of higher urban temperatures, which are also linked to more frequent and heavier downpours. ...
Los Angeles Times, Jan. 3, 2019
Nearly 7 million California households will begin switching to new electricity rates this year that change based on the time of day, bringing lower energy bills for some. But critics say time-varying rates could hurt more homes than they help — and a new study finds people tend to overestimate the benefits. ...
Featured expert(s): Nicole Sintov
ScienceBlog, 27-Dec-18
Humans can get by in the most basic of shelters, can scratch together a meal from the most humble of ingredients. But we can’t survive without clean water. And in places where water is scarce—the world’s deserts, for example—getting water to people requires feats of engineering and irrigation that can be cumbersome and expensive. A pair of new studies from researchers at The Ohio State University offers a possible solution, inspired by nature. ...
Featured expert(s): Bharat Bhushan, Ohio Eminent Scholar and Howard D. Winbigler Professor of mechanical engineering
UPI, 26-Dec-18
A new study may have the answers for how to gather water from ambient air, fog and condensation, taking inspiration from lifeforms in the desert. The research, published Monday in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, is focused on how to most efficiently collect water from various surfaces. ...
Featured expert(s): Bharat Bhushan, the Howard D. Winbigler Professor of mechanical engineering
ThisWeek News, 24-Dec-18
The city of Columbus on Dec. 18 received an action plan containing 43 recommendations to help offset the expected increasing effects of climate change, such as more rain and rising temperatures. A task force led by Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center released a 125-page adaptation report to Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and members of Columbus City Council that detailed steps the city could take. ...
Richland Source, 21-Dec-18
A food system intervention project developed by Dr. Kent “Kip” Curtis, a professor at The Ohio State University at Mansfield, has made it to the final stage of the Alliance for the American Dream competition. Along with two other projects, this unique collaboration between community partners and The Ohio State University, will advance to Phoenix, Arizona where they will compete with teams from three other research universities for an opportunity to pitch the idea directly to Eric Schmidt this coming summer. ...
Earth.com, 20-Dec-18
Researchers at The Ohio State University have found that artificial light is not just causing issues for humans at night, but is also having an impact on animals. This is particularly true for animals that live in and around streams and wetlands that are exposed to streetlights and other light sources after the sun goes down. ALSO: The Tribune: Light pollution at night harms ecosystem ALSO: Business Standard: Light pollution at night harms ecosystem: Study ALSO: NDTV: What Is Light Pollution? How Does It Affect The Ecosystem? ...
Featured expert(s): Maleika Sullivan, director of the Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and associate professor of environment and natural resources
The Weather Channel, Dec. 20, 2018
Featured expert(s): Lonnie Thompson, climate scientist
Ohio State News, 19-Dec-18
Columbus residents and visitors now have the chance to ride Ohio’s first self-driving shuttles. The Smart Circuit shuttles began humming their way along the Scioto Mile in Downtown Columbus on Dec. 10. The low-speed, electric vehicles make stops at COSI, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Bicentennial Park and Smart Columbus Experience Center. The service offers free rides to the public from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The initiative bringing self-driving shuttles to the Buckeye state is driven by Smart Columbus and Ohio Department of Transportation’s DriveOhio, in partnership with The Ohio State University. ...