Our picks: Top 10 stories of 2025
Our list includes a mix of favorites, high-impact stories, and some of our most-read research coverage from the past year.
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability stories and research highlights.
Scholars from across our school shared insights and discoveries that benefit life on our planet, from mitigating earthquake hazards to strengthening the power grid, improving forest and community health, and helping governments understand where crop yields may be most at risk from climate change.
The year brought stark examples of risk and loss from extreme weather events: Fast-moving wildfires destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed dozens of people in Los Angeles County. Hurricane Melissa affected hundreds of thousands of people across Jamaica after making landfall as a Category 5 storm. A record number of flash floods struck the U.S., including the deadly Central Texas floods in July. But 2025 also brought some visions of hope.
Highlights include a collaborative project involving university researchers, tribal nations, and government agencies focused on expanding Indigenous stewardship of public lands and understanding how one of the American West’s most drought-resilient forests will respond to climate change.
Aboard a literary legend, two Stanford faculty members helped undergraduate students gain a deeper appreciation of the ocean through ecology, oceanography, and literature. The experience was part of a three-week course on the deck of the Western Flyer, the 77-foot sardine boat that carried John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts to the Sea of Cortez in 1940. The voyage would inspire Steinbeck’s nonfiction classic The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
In Antarctica, Stanford researchers used physics-informed deep learning to analyze high-resolution remote sensing data of ice movements for the first time. With most climate models struggling to accurately simulate the movement of Antarctic ice, these researchers’ predictions could be critical in protecting coastal areas from sea-level rise.
In February, the school’s Precourt Institute for Energy gathered dozens of top U.S. energy experts from across the political spectrum and from the private sector, academia, and nonprofit organizations to explore how the nation can meet rising electricity demands that threaten to overwhelm its aging grid. The gathering resulted in a report focused on six big ideas for federal and state energy policymakers to consider, test, and build upon.
Read on to find 10 highlights from coverage of Stanford experts studying Earth, climate, and sustainability this year. We also invite you to explore all our latest research stories.
Community and forest health intertwine in pinyon-juniper woodlands
Expanding Indigenous stewardship of public lands and understanding how one of the American West’s most drought-resilient forests will respond to climate change are among the goals of a collaborative project involving university researchers, tribal nations, and government agencies.
Watch the video and read about this collaborative effortThe future of geothermal for reliable clean energy
Electricity generated using natural underground heat could become cost competitive with power from the grid by 2027 using enhanced geothermal systems, although care is still needed to address earthquake risks, researchers found.
Read about geothermal energyAI reveals new insights into the flow of Antarctic ice
Stanford researchers have combined machine learning with high-resolution satellite and airplane observations to understand the physics behind large-scale ice movements in Antarctica. The results show that current models are missing key complexity needed to accurately predict the dynamics and mass loss of the Antarctic ice sheet now and in the future.
Read about Antarctic ice sheet dynamicsScientists discover key to taming unrest at Italy’s Campi Flegrei
New research shows that elevation changes and earthquakes in Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcanic area are caused by rising pressure in a geothermal reservoir – not magma or its gases, as commonly thought. Channeling water runoff or lowering groundwater levels could reduce risks for surrounding communities.
Read about reducing earthquake risksWhy common climate messaging often backfires – and how to fix it
A new study finds that while many Americans misjudge the relative climate impact of dozens of behaviors, they readily commit to higher-impact choices when they get more information. Willingness to engage in actions promoting larger-scale change falls off, however, if interventions focus solely on individual behavior.
Read about climate messagingJohn Steinbeck’s Western Flyer boat transformed into floating classroom on Monterey Bay
Aboard the same fishing vessel Steinbeck used for his 1940 Sea of Cortez expedition, undergraduates studied science and literature while gaining a deeper appreciation for the ocean.
Watch the video and read about this “floating classroom”A vision of hope for climate solutions
Climate scientist Rob Jackson and philosopher Leif Wenar discussed challenges, ambitions, and moral implications of restoring the atmosphere in a recent Dean’s Lecture Series event.
Read a news report or watch the full lectureSix big ideas to help avoid a U.S. electricity crisis
Energy leaders recently gathered at Stanford to discuss ways to quickly expand the U.S. electricity supply and infrastructure to meet growing demand. A new report summarizes their key ideas for policymakers.
Read the reportClimate change cuts global crop yields, even when farmers adapt
A sweeping new analysis finds that rising global temperatures will dampen the world’s capacity to produce food from most staple crops, even after accounting for economic development and adaptation by farmers.
Read about global crop yieldsTracking microplastics from sea to body
Stanford researchers are uncovering the journey of microplastics in our environment and their effects on human health, while developing practical solutions to mitigate their impact.
Watch the video and read about microplasticsExplore More
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Close out the year with a look back at the strides our community has made toward better understanding and supporting life on Earth.
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The Stanford Environmental Research Year in Review looks back at the most notable environment and sustainability research from Stanford scholars in 2024.
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Our list includes a mix of favorites, high-impact stories, and some of our most-read research coverage from the past year.
