Georgia Institute of Technology

Reducing carbon emissions is a topic of conversation around the nation and world, including on Tech’s campus. Last semester, students taking an earth and atmospheric sciences class titled “Energy, the Environment and Society” teamed up to see which group could reduce greatest amount of emissions over an eight-week period. The winning team in the Carbon Reduction Challenge succeeded in keeping 94,000 pounds of CO2 out of the air for a cost savings of $10,000.

Georgia Tech has been awarded $3.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for research and scholarships focused on nuclear energy.The Obama Administration handed out a total of $47 million to 46 schools across the country on May 8. 

Daniel Poneman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, said $3.1 million will go to three research projects at Georgia Tech focused on developing new and advanced nuclear reactor designs and technologies, while addressing their cost, safety and security.

Can a shuttered automotive plant become a catalyst for healthy living? Can four cities, two counties, and the world’s busiest airport, create a thriving district filled with healthy options and opportunity? The Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Tech studied these questions regarding redevelopment plans for the former Ford Atlanta Assembly Plant alongside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

For the third time in 2012, Georgia Tech has been recognized on a national level for its sustainable efforts. Most recently, Tech was among 15 schools highlighted by the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) for reducing carbon emissions, maximizing resources, lowering operating costs and allowing members of the Tech community to also engage in good practices.

From research to grand challenges, documentary films to exercise, the Earth Day Planning Committee has put together a week of free events for the entire campus community to enjoy.

Just weeks after being recognized locally as the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s Partner of the Year, Tech earned the national honor of being named a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists. Tech earned a silver designation among the 2012 group of honorees, making it the easternmost university to earn that ranking or higher.

With sustainable living becoming a more common concern in homes throughout the country, many people are doing what they can to live greener. However, two recent Georgia Tech graduates are taking these ideas further, thinking big to create ways for major companies to reduce their energy consumption.

In the United States alone, government and private industry together invest more than $3 billion per year in nanotechnology research and development, and globally the total is much higher. What will be the long-run economic returns from these investments, not only in new jobs and product sales, but also from improvements in sustainability?