Search: Research Projects, Sustainable Living

The Berkeley Institute of the Environment has developed an innovative Lifecycle Environmental Footprint Calculator that helps users estimate the carbon content of household consumption. The next version of this calculator will allow users to the state or city where they live and estimates will incorporate local energy mix, prices, public transportation and housing date. Additional reserach is needed to model the impact of organic vs convetional food

The USI is collaborating with the design firm ARUP to design what they hope to be the first high density, mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods in China that will generate all energy needs on site by using a combination of photo-voltaics, wind energy and biogas. Car dependence will be reduced dramatically with easy, safe pedestrian and bike greenway access to transit stops. Several cities are now competing for the demonstration project The City of San Francisco has recently announced a $5billion project to design a sustainable community at Treasure Island. The Berkeley Institute of the Environment has been approached by ARUP to collaborate in this exciting development project. in particular, ARUP is looking for improved environmetnal indicators and innovative systems modeling techniques. Contact the Berkeley Institute of thee Environment for more information.

Professor Dan Kammen has initiated a research project in Dar es Salaam Tanzania to demonstrate and roll-out improved cookstoves in the Dar es Salaam area.