Research Publications

Increasing renewable energy penetrations and low natural gas prices have increased the reliance of U.S. power systems on natural gas-fired generation. Increased reliance has sparked concerns over a...

Current lithium-ion battery (LiB) recycling infrastructure is limited for strategic metals such as lithium and cobalt, despite projections that millions of electric vehicles (EVs) will hit the road in...

Purpose The environmental impact of a product may change according to who adopts it, where it is adopted, and how it is used. Market forces are an inherent part of consequential LCA and the pract...

Developing localized climate mitigation strategies needs an understanding of how global consumption drives local carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with a fine spatial resolution. There is no study tha...

There are a number of U.S. cities making and implementing ambitious commitments to transition to 100% renewable energy; however, many of them are unsure of how to meet their commitments. This research...

Precipitation impacts on ice cover and water temperature in the Laurentian Great Lakes were examined using state-of-the-art coupled ice-hydrodynamic models. Numerical experiments were conducted for th...

With cities producing 80% of global GDP and housing more than half of the world's population (United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-Habitat 2016, p. 264), urban processes now drive global f...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and other natural disasters, an environmental community organization, Casa Pueblo, in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico decided to increase their social and economic resilience...

This project focused on identifying carbon emission abatement strategies for Meijer, specifically addressing lighting, space cooling and heating, and refrigeration, which constitute Meijer’s largest d...

As water scarcity becomes more and more severe, to recover and reuse water in the industrial systems attracts much attention all over the world. Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), an ambitious industrial wa...

Reducing the weight of the M1A2 tank by lightweighting hull, suspension, and track results in 5.1%, 1.3%, and 0.6% tank mass reductions, respectively. The impact of retrofitting with lightweight co...

Durable goods last for years, decades, or even centuries. The environmental implications of the changing social, economic, and material conditions in which these goods are embedded can be overlooked b...

The rapid pace of growth in additive manufacturing has left significant knowledge gaps in life cycle assessment (LCA) literature, limiting inclusion of sustainability considerations in manufacturing a...

The relationship between battery operation and their degradation and service life is complex and not well synthesized or communicated. There is a resulting lack of awareness about best practices th...

Sustainable development is increasingly necessary for businesses and institutions across the globe. University of Michigan Sustainability Without Borders students and Capuchins de Taboga researchers a...

Using seven established course design principles for effective service-learning, this chapter discusses the lessons learned in teaching the three E's of sustainability: environmental; economic; and...

The field of energy justice is at a critical juncture. As the social dimensions of energy systems are becoming more salient, it is time to reflect on what has been achieved, and look towards a future ...

A household is energy poor when they cannot meet energy needs. Despite its prevalence, the US has not formally recognized energy poverty as a problem distinct from general poverty at the federal le...

Despite advances in the data, models, and methods underpinning environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), it remains challenging for practitioners to effectively communicate and interpret results. The...

Globalization processes lead to supply chains that sprawl across space and time. Where and how products are produced and consumed shape the environmental and social conditions of regions, far and wide...

Background The role of diet in health is well established and, in the past decade, more attention has been given to the role of food choices in the environment. The agricultural sector produce...

Access to upfront capital remains a primary barrier in residential energy efficiency adoption. Government-sponsored programs exist for low-income households while traditional financing serves creditwo...

A major barrier to achieving sustainable diets is the lack of clearly defined and agreed upon intervention points that will positively influence multiple sectors of the food system. There is an urg...

This study evaluates and provides guidance on improving the life cycle environmental performance of dishwashing in the typical U.S. household. Typical user behaviors and recommended best practices ...