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Sustainable Environment & Climate

Mines researchers are studying our climate and environment, and using our expertise to find solutions that protect our people and our planet. Environmental sustainability is part of everything we do – from projects that focus on cleaning our water, soil, and air to research that drives cleaner energy production, resource extraction, and manufacturing practices. Explore our Environment research by focus area:

Sustainable Environment & Climate

clean sustainable water

Clean & Sustainable Water Systems

Exploring new ways to provide clean and affordable water in the context of climate change and increasing demands on water resources.

Soil Health

Soil Health & Human Wellness

Developing novel methods to identify and remediate contaminants in soils and groundwater that are impacting human health.

Trees for Carbon Managements

Carbon Management & Air Quality

Improving air quality and combating climate change by leveraging technology solutions to capture and minimize carbon in the atmosphere.

Sustainable Future - Green Buildings

Engineering Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Promoting sustainability by engineering solutions that center on reducing waste and increasing efficiency.

Projection Globe at the Colorado School of Mines

Environmental & Climate Data Science

Harnessing data and computing power to understand environmental processes and tackle climate challenges.

Polar Ice Melt

Global Climate System

Understanding the physical, chemical, and biological processes that govern the global climate system.

Earth Friendly

Environment, Climate & Society

Studying the connections and interactions that influence how society relates to the environment and climate.

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Understanding the ‘forever chemicals’ that have become prevalent in our environment so we can find ways to eliminate them: “A PFAS, or a poly- or perfluoroalkyl substance, is a compound that has a very unique chemical structure. These chemicals are very problematic in that they persist for a very long time in the environment. My research focuses on understanding their behavior primarily, and also how we are exposed to these chemicals either through contaminated drinking water of through things like contaminated food.”

- Dr Christopher Higgins, University Distinguished Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Uniquely Mines: Explore our distinctive opportunities, expertise, & facilities

Mines Mobile Lab Recycling Water

A mobile water recycling lab is being used to convince people that water recycling is a viable solution to the current drought conditions in Colorado and the wider American West. Called PureWater, the mobile unit was created by a team of researchers at the Colorado School of Mines, led by Tzahi Cath, professor of civil and environmental engineering. The designed lab demonstrates how wastewater can be treated to high-quality drinking water.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PUREWATER MOBILE LAB

Sustainable Environment & Climate: Research Collaborations

Mines embraces a culture of collaboration and has a history of building strategic partnerships across industry, academia, government, and national labs. Sharing capabilities and expertise enables us to accelerate and broaden our impact as we work together to engineer innovative solutions. Discover our Environment collaborations:

Center for Hydrate Research

Center for Hydrate Research

The CHR is a global leader in hydrate research and recovery, an area that has significant impact on both energy and environmental sustainability. CHR funding and collaborations span across industry, the federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling

Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling

CR³ is a multi-university cooperative research center focused on sustainable stewardship of the earth's resources. Mines partners with Worcester Polytechnic Institute and KU Leuven to advance technologies that recover, recycle, and reuse materials across industries.

Center for Rock & Fluid Multiphysics

Center for Rock & Fluid Multiphysics

CRFM combines simultaneous laboratory experimentation with rock physics modeling to research the multiphysical properties of rocks, fluids and their interactions.

Geology Center of Research Excellence

Geology Center of Research Excellence

CoRE is an innovative industry-academic partnership between Mines and Chevron that promotes world-class research and education. CoRE focuses on scientific and technical challenges faced by the energy industry.

Colorado Center for Advanced Ceramics

Colorado Center for Advanced Ceramics

CCAC is a focal point for interdisciplinary research and education on ceramics and related materials, with active industry and government partnerships.

Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory

Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory

Mines is a member of the Collaboratory, which is a unique Colorado partnership that brings together energy expertise across the state to address the complex energy and natural resource challenges facing the world.

Colorado Geological Survey

Colorado Geological Survey

Housed at Mines, CGS is a state government agency that provides geologic advice to the public to help reduce the impact of geologic hazards, promote responsible development of mineral and energy resources, and provide geologic insight into water resources.

Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab

Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab

EEMLD is a collaborative initiative focused on developing transparent models and data sets for accurate greenhouse gas emissions accounting across the global oil and gas supply chain. Partners include the University of Texas at Austin and Colorado State University.

Institute for Initiatives in Latin America

Institute for Initiatives in Latin America

IILA builds external connections with partner institutions in Latin America and mobilizes Mines resources to conduct cutting-edge applied science that benefits local communities and builds research capacities at partner institutions.

Nexus | Mines/NLR

Nexus | Mines/NLR

Nexus is a partnership between Mines and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) that strengthens, accelerates, and enhances collaborative efforts to address energy challenges.

Mines CCUS Innovation Center

Mines CCUS Innovation Center

MCIC is an independently sponsored research center that highlights applied research focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by millions of metric tons and enabling communities to transition toward zero-emissions energy generation.

Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine

Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine

Mines is a partner in the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine, a NSF Regional Innovation Engine to advance climate resiliency research and commercialization efforts across methane emissions, soil carbon capture, earth sensing, water scarcity, wildfires and extreme weather.

Shared Instrumentation Facility

Shared Instrumentation Facility

The SIF provides centralized access to world-class scientific equipment and engineering instruments on Mines campus. External partners can consult with technical experts and access the SIF through our website.