University of Texas students and faculty are taking action to fight climate change with innovative solutions across campus.

Braving climate change has become an increasingly urgent issue in recent years, and the University of Texas is no exception as it faces a range of environmental challenges. 

According to the climate research team at UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences, these challenges include rising temperatures, extreme weather events and increased greenhouse gas emissions. They have significant implications for the health and well-being of students, faculty and the environment on both a local and global scale.

From the university's greenhouse gas inventory, the campus emitted 547,557 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2019, with energy use accounting for the largest share of emissions. This represents a 6% increase in emissions since 2012, despite efforts to reduce energy use and promote sustainability. 

The impact of climate change on the city scale also remains a concern. According to research conducted by the climate research team at UT, the Austin area has experienced a 20% increase in the number of days over 100°F since 1970 and is projected to see more frequent and intense droughts and floods in the coming years. These changes could significantly impact local ecosystems, including wildlife and plant species. 

The University of Texas has launched a number of initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting public health and fostering sustainable communities. 

Shifting climates and rising energy demands stretch current sources of sustainable biofuel thin. The Juenger Laboratory at UT researches switchgrass as a hardy alternative to current biofuel, resisting future temperature changes.

Students at the School of Architecture worked to design a more sustainable and affordable home in the GreenCore architecture studio last spring. The program offered future architects a chance to think creatively about designing buildings that are less destructive to the environment.

One of the organizations working toward fighting climate change is the Climate Leaders Program. This program worked towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions for cleaner air. 
By: Jasmine Palacios

The Climate Leaders Program Works on Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

Chloe Dentis Rameriz, like many college sophomores, said she wanted to find an internship. But,  she didn’t expect she would end up finding real-life climate change solutions right on the UT campus. 

Rameriz is one of the 10 undergraduate students hired for The UT Climate Leader Program also known as Climate LEAP. This program is a year-long paid internship focused on reducing gas emissions. 

“It is exciting to learn from experienced professionals in the field and work with other students who share my passion for creating a more sustainable future," said Rameriz. 

Catlin Griffith, the program’s coordinator, said Climate LEAP is working with five UT Austin colleges to develop greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposals throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Griffith said this means decreasing the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted by human activities to reduce climate change impacts.

"The Climate Leaders Program internship is a unique opportunity for students to make a tangible impact on climate action while gaining valuable skills and experience,” said Griffith. 

This year, the focus has been on how greenhouse gas emissions can slow climate change. Griffith said reducing these emissions can reduce co-emitted air pollutants. When air pollutants are reduced, she said, air quality and health for all are improved. 

Griffith said each pair of climate leaders works with a single college, with one student acting as a climate analyst and the other as a climate engagement specialist. 

Rameriz is one of those climate engagement specialists for the Jackson School of Geosciences. She said one of the main obstacles the program has faced is technical challenges in developing emissions reduction strategies. Rameriz said greenhouse gas emissions are complex and can come from various sources, including transportation, energy use and waste management. 

Despite these challenges, Rameriz said Climate LEAP had made significant progress in its mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program developed a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory and implemented several initiatives to reduce energy use. These initiatives include unplugging appliances when not in use and using more LED lights. 

Griffith said the internship program is part of the university's broader commitment to sustainability and climate action. 

"The program's solutions and commitment to sustainability make it a leader in the field of climate action,” said Griffith, “and a model for other universities and organizations to follow." 

UT Architecture Students Design Sustainable Homes for Austin Suburbs

By: Kevin Myers

While on-campus climate programs bring together ideas for lowering emissions, UT architecture students are working on homes that would require less power and water to maintain.

Students researched and prototyped a more sustainable residence design to address the climate and housing crises in the spring 2022 semester.

Undergraduate and graduate architecture students worked alongside one another as a part of the GreenCore architecture studio to design Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs for residents of the Austin suburb Montopolis. ADUs are additional structures homeowners can construct in their backyards to provide housing for tenants on their properties. 

GreenCore students worked under the instruction of Jing Liu, a New-York based architect, and Claire Townley, an associate architect at Austin-based Pollen Architecture and Design, and lecturer at the University of Texas School of Architecture. 

“The idea behind GreenCore was to really push our students to think about sustainability at the level of single-family housing,” said Townley.

Townley said that the focus around sustainability has been on larger buildings with larger impacts. She said they wanted to give their students a manageable project to complete in one semester.

Students worked to design affordable, modular homes using laminated plywood, which is an affordable and renewable material. The design also allows for customization by the customer.

“You could design your home from a website, and your order like IKEA furniture,” said Osvaldo Herrera Garcia, a fourth-year bachelor of architecture student at GreenCore. “They bring it to your place, your land, and from there, you and your family could assemble it.”

The ADUs incorporated a funnel-shaped roof to collect rainwater for use in toilets and drainage. The roof also utilizes solar panels to provide electricity. The ADUs also use a heat pump instead of conventional heating systems for an 18% reduction in energy usage.

Students talked with residents of Montopolis as a part of the design process to incorporate their needs into the design.

“That was very eye-opening,” said Varsha Iyer, a fourth-year bachelor of architecture student at GreenCore. She said students got to meet existing homeowners and start designing ADUs in their backyards.
Townley said projects like this are important because they give future architects a chance to think about sustainable design in an imaginative way.

“It’s a really good experience to get our feet wet.,” said Charlie Kuok, a first-year graduate student with GreenCore. 

GreenCore’s ADUs can provide a sustainable future for housing as temperatures rise. To prepare for those same conditions, UT’s biology department researches the viability of switchgrass as a biofuel.

The Juenger Laboratory makes efficient biofuel from switchgrass

By: Jack Lewellyn

Under the UT Austin Department of Integrative Biology, the Juenger Laboratory researches switchgrass to fight climate change. The lab works toward bringing greater sustainability and resilience to biofuel using Panicum hallii switchgrass.

“The issue of climate change isn’t just a choice between burning coal until we die or using solar and wind power,” said Ryan Posey, a sophomore at UT Austin. “There are all kinds of inventive ways we can combat it.”

Posey worked with the lab during his spring and fall 2022 semesters. He studied the genetics of switchgrass samples as a part of his freshman research. 

Posey found mutations in some samples that could lead to greater efficiency as a biofuel. These same mutations will protect the grass from harsher conditions as climate shifts. Examined samples were sorted by yield, drought resistance and other factors.

“We blasted [the seeds] with … radiation to gain a better understanding of what the genes did,” Posey said.

Unlike other renewable energy sources, biofuel serves as the renewable replacement for liquid fossil fuels. Switchgrass can serve the same purpose as corn-based ethanol, another biofuel option, without damaging food security.

“Instead of competing with [other renewable sources], biofuel can complement what we already have,” Posey said
Going beyond fuel efficiency, the lab also studies switchgrass in conditions simulating future climate conditions. Preparing switchgrass for raised sea levels and harsh droughts could prove useful as Earth changes.

“Even if it doesn’t become a significant energy producer, it can still be used to help the environment,” Posey said.

Posey received an email from the lab on March 11, in which his former lab mentor asked him to send over his old research. New lab participants are picking up where Posey left off. Progress at the Juenger Laboratory keeps marching forward.

“It’s nice to know that even though I’m not in the lab anymore,” Posey said, “there are new researchers continuing what I was doing.”