EDF-Atkinson Center Partnership

Mobile Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds

Controlling methane emissions from oil and gas wells is a vital step toward slowing climate change and protecting global public health – but other airborne pollutants associated with oil and gas may have local health impacts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency manages a national network of only 34 stations to monitor long-term concentrations of volatile organic compounds, so little is known about the risk to communities near most oil and gas sites. This project will evaluate sensors that detect and quantify emissions of compounds such as benzene, using a mobile monitoring approach. This approach will reduce monitoring costs while giving communities and policymakers solid information about emissions levels and health risks.
Investigators: John Albertson, Cornell Civil and Environmental Engineering; David Lyon, EDF Oil and Gas Program; Oliver Gao, Cornell Civil and Environmental Engineering; Beth Trask, EDF; Eben Thoma, ORD, US-EPA

Power Huron Project

California’s planned electricity rate reform will save $700 million and prevent 8 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution each year. The state’s transition to time-of-use pricing, however, may stall if at-risk communities are disproportionately affected by higher bills or negative health impacts. Based in Huron, California, and partnering with EDF’s sister program in Fresno, this project will develop policy solutions and practical strategies to identify and upgrade vulnerable homes. The initiative will help city agencies, utilities and community partners work together to address low-income residents’ risks – so that people living in inefficient homes and rental properties can benefit from and support clean energy.
Investigators: Howard Chong, Cornell Hotel School; James Fine, EDF Senior Economist; Ray León, Mayor, City of Huron, CA

Sardine Harvest Control for the Philippines

Sardine fishing is vital for food security and livelihoods in the Philippines. As a step toward harvest control for all of the nation’s fisheries, EDF is working with Filipino fishery managers, scientists and industry representatives to develop new science-based harvest rules for the sardine fishery. Cornell and EDF researchers will work together to evaluate and test acoustic monitoring as a cost-effective method for estimating sardine biomass, a measurement of total adult stock that allows fishery managers to calculate optimal annual catch limits. The project aims to support adaptive fishery management, improve fishing yields and profits, and protect ecosystem services in the western Pacific.
Investigators: Aaron Rice, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Rod Fujita, EDF; Suresh Andrew Sethi, Cornell Natural Resources

Financing Sustainable Fisheries

Fishery reform is a big investment – but we know from experience that recovered, well-managed fisheries can deliver significant financial returns to fishers, coastal communities and the many businesses that bring seafood to the table. This project aims to make sustainable fisheries an investment opportunity that meets the risk-return expectations of mainstream capital providers. Jumping off from successful business models in comparable sustainable business sectors, Cornell and EDF researchers will develop, explore and characterize best practices for project development in the emerging area of sustainable fisheries financing. The team’s findings and outreach will help stimulate investment in sustainable seafood production, marine biodiversity, and global livelihoods and food security.
Investigators: John Tobin-de la Puente, Cornell Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management; Tim Fitzgerald, EDF Fishery Solutions Center; Suresh Andrew Sethi, Cornell Natural Resources; Phoebe Higgins, EDF California Fisheries Fund

Agricultural Sustainability Data Hub

Farm databases collect mountains of useful data about farming practices and environmental conditions – information critical for agricultural and environmental policy research and sustainability initiatives, but anonymized data is largely inaccessible to researchers. This project will design and map a secure Agricultural Sustainability Data Hub at Cornell supported by the Ag-Analytics data platform. Cooperating with agricultural and food industry partners and grower associations, the digital hub would serve as a focal point for ag-data sustainability activities, incorporating anonymized data sourced from agricultural service providers, food producers, merchandisers and retailers. This secure data warehouse will inform sustainability research and provide practical tools and analytics.
Investigators: Joshua Woodard, Cornell Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management; Robert Parkhurst, EDF Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Markets

Transforming Fisheries Science and Management

This project will deploy acoustic instruments on unmanned, wave-propelled ocean robots, called Wave Gliders, to improve surveys and management of sardine and anchovy fisheries in the highly productive coastal upwelling ecosystems off California and Peru. The team will compare acoustic data collected by the Wave Gliders to data collected during conventional shipboard surveys, with subsequent modeling studies conducted to evaluate the new technology’s costs and benefits. These more comprehensive surveys of commercially important fish populations will reduce the chance of stock collapses in the face of climate change, protecting top predator species and multibillion-dollar fishing industries around the world.
Investigators: Charles Greene, Cornell Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Helen Takade-Heumacher, EDF Fishery Solutions Center; Jake Kritzer, EDF Fishery Solutions Center

Integrated Approach to Climate Change

The best way to fight climate change might be with a portfolio of strategies, integrating mitigation, adaptation, and CO₂ removal. Some would include solar geoengineering, but others dismiss climate engineering interventions that reflect sunlight back into space as risky stand-alone approaches. This project will build on EDF’s role in helping to catalyze discussions about international geoengineering research governance by modeling the implications of including geoengineering as one element in a broad-based plan to meet global climate targets. The team will use dynamic emulators to model regional climate consequences of incorporating solar geoengineering, in conjunction with other essential actions like emissions cuts and carbon containment. The results will inform our understanding of geoengineering policy and applications.
Investigators: Douglas MacMartin, Cornell Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Jane Long, EDF

Toxicological Assessment of Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater Treatment

Reported health and environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing wastewater have raised widespread public concerns in the Marcellus shale region and beyond. This study will be the first to assess current wastewater treatment practices and the toxicological effects of exposure to “fracking” wastewater. With the help of zebrafish, which have an endocrine system similar to ours, the team will test untreated and treated water samples from facilities that process hydraulic fracturing wastewater. Tracking the tiny fishes’ molecular responses and reproductive success will reveal how hydraulic fracturing chemicals affect human and ecosystem health and point to the best procedures for treating wastewater before releasing it back into the environment.
Investigators: Motoko Mukai, Cornell Food Science; Elena Craft, EDF Senior Health Scientist; Dan Mueller, EDF Oil and Gas Team Director

Using Humor to Promote Climate Change Activism among Young Adults

Many young adults support environmentally conscious values through their private actions, such as tweeting about causes or buying “green” products, but they are less likely than ever to vote. This project will give EDF the communication tools it needs to reach out to Millennials (ages 18–30)—the rising generation for climate change activism and political change. Using professionally produced YouTube videos, the researchers will test humorous messages as a strategy for boosting public engagement. The study will examine whether funny messages—similar to satirical news programs successful with younger audiences—are more effective than informational or fear-based appeals for motivating a new generation of climate activists.
Investigators: Jeff Niederdeppe, Cornell Communication; David Acup, EDF

Locating and Quantifying Methane Emissions with a Google Streetview Car

EDF and Google Earth launched a successful pilot program to track methane emissions this year. The collaboration with Cornell will allow for more field measuring and complex modeling to analyze data on the powerful greenhouse gas and, ultimately, to find and stop dangerous methane leaks that contribute to climate change.
Cornell: John Albertson, EDF: Joe Rudek

Protecting Fish and Fishermen in Myanmar

EDF has helped develop catch shares programs in the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Belize and Cuba to prevent overfishing and protect a vital food source. The new project will expand the work to Asia and help coastal communities in Myanmar maintain productive fisheries and provide ample food while protecting the environment.
Cornell: Drew Harvell, EDF: Doug Rader

Surveying Environmental Priorities in Different Ethnic Communities

Minority communities in the U.S., especially Hispanic communities, report high levels of concern about environmental problems but are less likely to engage in traditional environmentally friendly actions. Cornell and EDF will launch a new national survey to better understand factors that are important to different ethnic communities and approaches that will best resonate with them.
Cornell: Jonathon Schuldt, EDF: Rainer Romero-Canyas

Increasing Corn Production while Reducing Fertilizer Pollution

Nitrogen runoff from fertilizer is a major environmental pollutant. EDF has been working to increase knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices. Cornell’s Adapt-N precision tool helps farmers apply fertilizer for maximum effectiveness and uptake, reducing runoff into streams and waterways. The project will help Corn Belt communities increase food production for a growing world, reduce costs and reduce pollution.
Cornell: Harold van Es, EDF: Eileen McLellan