Can Biochar Help Remove Microplastics from Soil?
Can Biochar Help Remove Microplastics from Soil?
On a former dumping ground in St. Paul, University of Minnesota researchers and youth interns are testing a new way to tackle a growing problem: microplastics in urban soil. Using biochar – a charcoal-like material – they’re exploring whether it can trap plastic particles while improving soil health. Early results suggest the approach could help reduce pollution in urban environments.
Two Eyes, Many Strands: ‘Inclusive science’ in a changing climate
Two Eyes, Many Strands: ‘Inclusive science’ in a changing climate
How science can better reflect relational, community-rooted ways of knowing.
Inclusive science is not just about changing the faces in the room, it requires a world where many ways of knowing can coexist.
Systems Thinking in Sustainability
Mapping Fruit Trees, Learning From Community Forestry
Working with local partners, researchers are mapping fruit trees to better understand their value in food systems and land-use decisions.
Recognizing Wildlife’s Contributions to People
Wildlife support ecosystems, culture and human well-being in ways that are often missed in how we measure and manage natural resources.
Tracing the Hidden Impacts of Our Food
Researchers developed a model to trace food supply chains end-to-end, helping organizations measure their carbon footprints.
IonE Wants to Know: Which species are the most Minnesotan?
IonE Wants to Know: Which species are the most Minnesotan?
What makes a species iconic? IonE postdoctoral fellows are exploring how Minnesotans connect with the plants and animals that define the state – and how those connections can help shape conservation efforts.
Spotlight on Recent Interdisciplinary Research
Recent research from the IonE community and partners explores tools and insights to support decision-making across sustainability challenges – from food systems to climate adaptation and mitigation.
Revealing the ‘Carbon Hoofprint’ of Meat Consumption for U.S. Cities
In this University of Minnesota News & Events research brief, researchers used the FoodS³ platform to map the “carbon hoofprint” of meat consumption across U.S. cities. The findings reveal opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across food systems.
Annual Sustainability Symposium Showcases Student Work and Collaboration across UMN
Annual Sustainability Symposium Showcases Student Work and Collaboration across UMN
Fourteen years after it began, the event continues to evolve
At the annual Sustainability Symposium, students share research, creative work and ideas. This student-driven event creates space to connect and build community while strengthening how participants communicate their work.
The Latest News from IonE
Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research Professors Join IonE at the University of Minnesota
The Institute on the Environment has appointed its first-ever research professors, establishing a new academic home at the University of Minnesota for interdisciplinary, outcomes-oriented sustainability scholars. The seven-member cohort includes four longtime IonE researchers who helped build the Institute’s in-house research program and three new assistant research professors recruited from the University of British Columbia, Stanford University, and Boston University.
The Institute on the Environment has appointed its first-ever research professors, establishing a new academic home at the University of Minnesota for interdisciplinary, outcomes-oriented sustainability scholars. The seven-member cohort includes four longtime IonE researchers who helped build the Institute’s in-house research program and three new assistant research professors recruited from the University of British Columbia, Stanford University, and Boston University.
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