Since the 1940s, Caltech scientists and engineers have leveraged the power of fundamental research and cutting-edge instrumentation to grow our understanding of the environment, our impact upon it, and the path to global sustainability. Caltech faculty members David Tirrell, Jonas Peters, Kim See, and Tapio Schneider describe advances that are growing our understanding of the environment, safeguarding the planet’s resources, and mitigating the effects of global climate change.

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The first segment of this video features Provost David Tirrell, the Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and holder of the Carl and Shirley Larson Provostial Chair; and Jonas Peters, the Bren Professor of Chemistry and director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute. Tirrell and Peters describe the goals and impact of the Resnick Sustainability Institute (RSI) at Caltech. Bringing together scientists and engineers from diverse disciplines, the RSI has made significant progress in artificial photosynthesis, envisioned new approaches for capturing and transmitting solar energy, and is developing new sustainability approaches focused on implementation and real-world impact.

In the second segment of the video, Kimberly (Kim) See, assistant professor of chemistry, talks about the need to develop new battery and energy storage technologies to respond to climate change and reduce society’s carbon footprint. See and her research team aim to develop new battery chemistries that will reduce the environmental and human costs associated with battery manufacturing and enable advances in renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, that will create a greener future.

The final segment of the video showcases the work of Tapio Schneider, the Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Schneider and his team study atmospheric dynamics, such as winds and precipitation patterns, on Earth and other planets. The goal is to reinvent climate modeling to provide more detailed, local, and accurate information that can guide infrastructure planning and development in developing countries. Collaborating with other scientists, engineers, and applied mathematicians in Caltech’s Climate Modeling Alliance, Schneider’s group also strives to translate scientific discoveries into next-generation models for weather forecasting and climate prediction.