environmental research topics for college students pdf

Research Topics & Ideas: Environment

100+ Environmental Science Research Topics & Ideas

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. Here, we’ll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the environmental sciences. This is the starting point though. To develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. Also be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to develop a high-quality research topic from scratch.

Overview: Environmental Topics

• Ecology /ecological science
• Atmospheric science
• Oceanography
• Soil science
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental economics
• Environmental ethics
• Examples  of dissertations and theses

Topics & Ideas: Ecological Science

• The impact of land-use change on species diversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes
• The role of disturbances such as fire and drought in shaping arid ecosystems
• The impact of climate change on the distribution of migratory marine species
• Investigating the role of mutualistic plant-insect relationships in maintaining ecosystem stability
• The effects of invasive plant species on ecosystem structure and function
• The impact of habitat fragmentation caused by road construction on species diversity and population dynamics in the tropics
• The role of ecosystem services in urban areas and their economic value to a developing nation
• The effectiveness of different grassland restoration techniques in degraded ecosystems
• The impact of land-use change through agriculture and urbanisation on soil microbial communities in a temperate environment
• The role of microbial diversity in ecosystem health and nutrient cycling in an African savannah

Topics & Ideas: Atmospheric Science

• The impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation patterns above tropical rainforests
• The role of atmospheric aerosols in cloud formation and precipitation above cities with high pollution levels
• The impact of agricultural land-use change on global atmospheric composition
• Investigating the role of atmospheric convection in severe weather events in the tropics
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and global atmospheric ozone levels
• The impact of sea surface temperature on atmospheric circulation and tropical cyclones
• The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s atmospheric composition
• The impact of climate change on atmospheric turbulence and air transportation safety
• The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on atmospheric circulation and climate change
• The role of atmospheric rivers in global water supply and sea-ice formation

Topics & Ideas: Oceanography

• The impact of ocean acidification on kelp forests and biogeochemical cycles
• The role of ocean currents in distributing heat and regulating desert rain
• The impact of carbon monoxide pollution on ocean chemistry and biogeochemical cycles
• Investigating the role of ocean mixing in regulating coastal climates
• The impact of sea level rise on the resource availability of low-income coastal communities
• The impact of ocean warming on the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals
• The impact of ocean deoxygenation on biogeochemical cycles in the arctic
• The role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in regulating rainfall in arid regions
• The impact of ocean eddies on global ocean circulation and plankton distribution
• The role of ocean-ice interactions in regulating the Earth’s climate and sea level

Tops & Ideas: Hydrology

• The impact of agricultural land-use change on water resources and hydrologic cycles in temperate regions
• The impact of agricultural groundwater availability on irrigation practices in the global south
• The impact of rising sea-surface temperatures on global precipitation patterns and water availability
• Investigating the role of wetlands in regulating water resources for riparian forests
• The impact of tropical ranches on river and stream ecosystems and water quality
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and local hydrologic cycles and water resources for agriculture
• The role of snow cover and mountain hydrology in regulating regional agricultural water resources
• The impact of drought on food security in arid and semi-arid regions
• The role of groundwater recharge in sustaining water resources in arid and semi-arid environments
• The impact of sea level rise on coastal hydrology and the quality of water resources

Topics & Ideas: Geology

• The impact of tectonic activity on the East African rift valley
• The role of mineral deposits in shaping ancient human societies
• The impact of sea-level rise on coastal geomorphology and shoreline evolution
• Investigating the role of erosion in shaping the landscape and impacting desertification
• The impact of mining on soil stability and landslide potential
• The impact of volcanic activity on incoming solar radiation and climate
• The role of geothermal energy in decarbonising the energy mix of megacities
• The impact of Earth’s magnetic field on geological processes and solar wind
• The impact of plate tectonics on the evolution of mammals
• The role of the distribution of mineral resources in shaping human societies and economies, with emphasis on sustainability

Topics & Ideas: Soil Science

• The impact of dam building on soil quality and fertility
• The role of soil organic matter in regulating nutrient cycles in agricultural land
• The impact of climate change on soil erosion and soil organic carbon storage in peatlands
• Investigating the role of above-below-ground interactions in nutrient cycling and soil health
• The impact of deforestation on soil degradation and soil fertility
• The role of soil texture and structure in regulating water and nutrient availability in boreal forests
• The impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health and soil organic matter
• The impact of wetland modification on soil structure and function
• The role of soil-atmosphere exchange and carbon sequestration in regulating regional and global climate
• The impact of salinization on soil health and crop productivity in coastal communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Chemistry

• The impact of cobalt mining on water quality and the fate of contaminants in the environment
• The role of atmospheric chemistry in shaping air quality and climate change
• The impact of soil chemistry on nutrient availability and plant growth in wheat monoculture
• Investigating the fate and transport of heavy metal contaminants in the environment
• The impact of climate change on biochemical cycling in tropical rainforests
• The impact of various types of land-use change on biochemical cycling
• The role of soil microbes in mediating contaminant degradation in the environment
• The impact of chemical and oil spills on freshwater and soil chemistry
• The role of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in shaping water and soil chemistry
• The impact of over-irrigation on the cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Economics

• The impact of climate change on the economies of developing nations
• The role of market-based mechanisms in promoting sustainable use of forest resources
• The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth and competitiveness
• Investigating the economic benefits and costs of ecosystem services for African countries
• The impact of renewable energy policies on regional and global energy markets
• The role of water markets in promoting sustainable water use in southern Africa
• The impact of land-use change in rural areas on regional and global economies
• The impact of environmental disasters on local and national economies
• The role of green technologies and innovation in shaping the zero-carbon transition and the knock-on effects for local economies
• The impact of environmental and natural resource policies on income distribution and poverty of rural communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Ethics

• The ethical foundations of environmentalism and the environmental movement regarding renewable energy
• The role of values and ethics in shaping environmental policy and decision-making in the mining industry
• The impact of cultural and religious beliefs on environmental attitudes and behaviours in first world countries
• Investigating the ethics of biodiversity conservation and the protection of endangered species in palm oil plantations
• The ethical implications of sea-level rise for future generations and vulnerable coastal populations
• The role of ethical considerations in shaping sustainable use of natural forest resources
• The impact of environmental justice on marginalized communities and environmental policies in Asia
• The ethical implications of environmental risks and decision-making under uncertainty
• The role of ethics in shaping the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future for the construction industry
• The impact of environmental values on consumer behaviour and the marketplace: a case study of the ‘bring your own shopping bag’ policy

Examples: Real Dissertation & Thesis Topics

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various environmental science-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• The physiology of microorganisms in enhanced biological phosphorous removal (Saunders, 2014)
• The influence of the coastal front on heavy rainfall events along the east coast (Henson, 2019)
• Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures (Dibala, 2019)
• Advancing spectral induced polarization for near surface geophysical characterization (Wang, 2021)
• Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Thamnocephalus platyurus as Tools to Monitor Cyanobacterial Bloom Development and Toxicity (Hipsher, 2019)
• Evaluating the Removal of Microcystin Variants with Powdered Activated Carbon (Juang, 2020)
• The effect of hydrological restoration on nutrient concentrations, macroinvertebrate communities, and amphibian populations in Lake Erie coastal wetlands (Berg, 2019)
• Utilizing hydrologic soil grouping to estimate corn nitrogen rate recommendations (Bean, 2019)
• Fungal Function in House Dust and Dust from the International Space Station (Bope, 2021)
• Assessing Vulnerability and the Potential for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Sudan’s Blue Nile Basin (Mohamed, 2022)
• A Microbial Water Quality Analysis of the Recreational Zones in the Los Angeles River of Elysian Valley, CA (Nguyen, 2019)
• Dry Season Water Quality Study on Three Recreational Sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (Vallejo, 2019)
• Wastewater Treatment Plan for Unix Packaging Adjustment of the Potential Hydrogen (PH) Evaluation of Enzymatic Activity After the Addition of Cycle Disgestase Enzyme (Miessi, 2020)
• Laying the Genetic Foundation for the Conservation of Longhorn Fairy Shrimp (Kyle, 2021).

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. To create a top-notch research topic, you will need to be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you’ll need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your environmental science dissertation or research project, be sure to check out our private coaching services below, as well as our Research Topic Kickstarter .

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Are you looking for environmental research paper topics? With ongoing debates about global warming, air pollution, and other issues, there is no shortage of exciting topics to craft a research paper around. Whether you’re studying ecology, geology, or marine biology, developing the perfect environmental research topic to get your science research assignment off the ground can be challenging. Stop worrying – we got you covered. Continue reading to learn about 235 different ideas on environmental research topics. In this article, we will discuss environmental topics and show you how to choose an interesting research topic for your subject. We will also provide a list of various environmental topics from our research paper services . In addition, we will present you with environmental science research topics, discuss other ideas about the environment for research papers, and offer our final thoughts on these topics for research papers.

What Are Environmental Topics?

Environmental topics provide an analysis of environmental issues and their effect on people, culture, nature, or a particular place, often interdisciplinary, drawing from sciences, politics, economics, sociology, and public policy. Topics about environmental science may include environmental justice, engineering and communication, regulation, economics, and health. Environment research topics may focus on environmental sustainability, impact assessment, management systems, and resources. In addition, these areas for research papers offer a few opportunities to explore our relationship with the environment and consider how human activities influence it through climate change, pollution, or other factors such as natural resource usage as well as biodiversity loss.

What Makes a Good Environmental Research Topic? 

When choosing an environmental research topic, it is essential to consider what makes good environmental topics. Below is an expert list outlining what your topic should be like:

• It should be interesting and relevant to your study field.
• It's essential to consider the topic's potential implications on environment-related policies. Think about the possible positive or negative effects this topic could have when implemented in terms of protecting our environment.
• A good topic should be specific enough to provide a focus for your research paper and allow you to explore a particular issue in depth.
• The research topic should be feasible and manageable to ensure that you can find the necessary information and resources.
• Environmental sciences research topics should be current and relevant to ecological developments.

How to Choose Environmental Science Topics?

When choosing research topics for environmental science, it is essential to research the available information and determine its relevance. It all depends on whether the research topic is feasible and has the potential for exploration. Environmental issue topics should be well-defined and interesting to the researcher. The reason is that the researcher should be able to provide solutions or make suggestions on improvement strategies. You can follow the below steps when choosing environmental science topics for research:

Step 1: Identify topics that are relevant to your research context. Step 2: Develop a list of research areas by extracting critical concepts from the available literature.

Step 3: Select interesting and feasible topics by considering the methods available for analysis.

Step 4: Analyze these topics to identify the gaps in current research and formulate questions for further investigation. Step 5: Review the available literature to gain insights about the chosen topic and develop a research proposal.

Step 6: Consult experts in this field to get feedback and refine the proposed research.

Don’t have time for writing your environmental research paper? Count on StudyCrumb. Send us a ‘ write a research paper for me ’ message and get professional assistance in a timely manner. 

List of Environment Research Paper Topics

Environmental topics for a research paper can be overwhelming to navigate due to the vast number of issues you can discuss in your article. To help narrow down your research paper search, below is a list of environmental research topics that include climate change, renewable energy, ecology, pollution, sustainability, endangered species, ecosystems, nature, and water management. You can choose one of them as a guide to writing an excellent essay

Environmental Research Topics on Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues that humanity is currently facing due to increased temperature levels. Climate change is amongst the most debated environmental research topics among researchers, policymakers, and governments. Here are critical areas related to climate change that you can use for your environmental science research paper topics:

• Causes and effects of climate change.
• Climate change adaptation strategies.
• Climate change impact on rural communities.
• Role of renewable energy sources in mitigating climate change.
• Carbon dioxide emission policies.
• Global warming and its impact on ocean acidification.
• Social effects of climate change.
• Permafrost melting and its implications.
• Role of international organizations in climate change.
• Climate change and forest fire: examining the role of climate change on wildfire season, frequency, and burned area.

Environmental Science Research Topics on Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is essential due to its potential to reduce ecological damage from burning fossil fuels and provides valuable topics in environmental science. You can use renewable energy technologies as a cleaner alternative for generating electricity and heating. In addition, renewable energy is crucial for cooling homes and factories in the world. The following are environmental science topics for research paper on renewable energy:

• Renewable energy types, sources, and their impact on the environment.
• Economic benefits of renewable energy.
• Research on new technologies in renewable energy.
• Role of renewable energy in protecting businesses from legal actions.
• Hydropower and its role in renewable energy.
• Chemical batteries for renewable energy storage.
• Green microgrids in optimizing renewable energy usage.
• Ocean energy and its effects on the environment.
• Geothermal drilling and its consequences.
• Biomass resources and their use in renewable energy.

Environment Research Topics on Ecology

Ecology studies how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. Also, it is an important area of research for understanding how the environment affects the function of various species and ecosystems. It also gives a background for one of the best environment research paper topics. Below are topics for environmental research paper on ecology:

• Biodiversity conservation strategies.
• Impact of pollution on ecosystems.
• Ecological research on saving endangered species from extinction.
• Role of environment in migrations patterns of animals.
• Habitat fragmentation effects on the environment.
• Ecological implications of climate change.
• Ecology and pest control strategies.
• Ecological effects of deforestation.
• Ecology and conservation of marine life.
• Ecological consequences of urbanization.

Research Topics in Environmental Science About Pollution

Pollution is an issue at the forefront of scientific research. As one of the environmental science paper topics, it offers insights into how pollution destroys the environment and its negative impact on human and animal health. Stated below are hot environmental science research topics on pollution which you can use for your article:

• Air pollution: causes & effects.
• Water pollution and its consequences for people and other living organisms.
• Issue of urban & industrial pollution.
• Noise pollution and environment-related health risks.
• Marine plastic pollution in oceans.
• Radiological waste disposal policies.
• Nuclear energy, radiation & health impacts.
• Sustainable waste management solutions.
• Impact of pollution on biodiversity.
• Soil pollution and its effects on agriculture.

Environmental Topics for Research Papers on Sustainability

One of the many topics for environmental research papers is sustainability. Sustainability is an important topic to explore, as it involves finding a way for humans to reduce their ecological footprint and ensure that the environment can recover from our activities. Stated below are environmental topics for research paper on sustainability which you can explore:

• Strategies for sustainable development.
• Renewable energy sources and their effects.
• Environmental sustainability and its economic benefits.
• Sustainable energy sources and their effects.
• Implications of sustainable agriculture on the environment.
• Ecological impacts of sustainable forestry.
• Social implications of renewable energy use.
• Strategies for mitigating ecological impact from unsustainable development.
• Psychological effects of ecological awareness on sustainable practices.
• Influence of ecological sustainability on economic growth.

Environmental Topics to Write About Endangered Species

Endangered species are one of the environmental topics of great importance to research and find solutions for their conservation. Poaching, habitat destruction, and climate change negatively impact endangered species. Also, human activities have put other species at risk of extinction by competing for resources as well as introducing invasive species. Below is a list of cool environment topics to write about endangered species:

• Endangered species conservation.
• Causes & effects of habitat fragmentation.
• Wildlife conservation strategies.
• Climate change impacts on endangered species.
• Illegal wildlife trade and trafficking.
• Marine protected areas for conserving marine life.
• Ecological restoration and reintroduction programs.
• Endangered species in developing nations.
• Human rights & animal welfare laws .
• Captive breeding for conservation purposes.

Environmental Research Paper Topics on Ecosystems

Ecosystems are fascinating to explore in environmental paper topics because they contain a variety of living organisms and are a complex web of interactions between species, the environment, and humans. The subject provides environmental issues topics for research paper essential in exploring the dynamics of ecosystems and their importance. Below is a list of topics for environmental science research paper:

• Ecosystem services & their value.
• Climate change impacts on ecosystems.
• Hydrological cycle & effects on ecosystems.
• Ecological restoration & biodiversity conservation.
• Invasive species & their impact on native species.
• Biodiversity hotspots: areas of high endemism.
• Soil degradation & its impact on ecosystems.
• Sustainable forestry practices.
• Ecological restoration of wetlands.

Environmental Topics About Nature

Nature is a broad topic that includes ecological conservation, protection, and sustainability issues. Environmental research topics about nature allow us to explore areas that focus on preserving and conserving the environment. Research papers about nature can provide insight into utilizing nature as a resource, both from a practical and ecological aspect. Below is a list of environment topics that you can explore in your essays:

• Nature conservation & preservation strategies.
• Climate change effects on natural environments.
• Natural resource management strategies.
• Policies for natural resources management.
• Impact of human development on wildlands.
• Sustainable use of natural resources.
• Role of ethics in nature conservation.
• De-extinction: pros & cons of bringing back extinct species.
• Protected areas & conservation of rare species.

Environmental Issues Topics on Water Management

Water management is an issue that has a significant impact on the environment. Exploring a topic related to water management can provide experts, among others, with insights into environmental science issues and their implications. When it's time to write your project related to water management, you can explore the following topics for environmental issues:

• Water pollution & its control.
• Groundwater management strategies.
• Climate change impact on water resources.
• Integrated water resources management.
• Wetland conservation & restoration projects.
• Industrial effluents role in water pollution.
• Desalination technologies for freshwater production.
• Urbanization impact on groundwater resources.
• Inland & coastal water management strategies.
• Wastewater treatment & reuse technologies.

Environmental Science Topics in Different Areas

Environmental science studies ecological processes and their interactions with living organisms. Exploring environmental science related topics can provide valuable insights into environmental science issues, their ecological implications, and conservation efforts. In addition, these topics can also be explored in different areas, providing a comprehensive understanding of how different factors impact the environment. This section delves into various environmental science topics for projects related to law, justice, policy, economics, biology, chemistry, and health science.

Environmental Law Research Topics

Environmental law governs environmental processes and their interactions with living organisms. Delving into environmental law can uncover invaluable information on environment paper topics, ranging from legal matters and their consequences to preservation initiatives. Students can use the following environmental issue topics for research papers for their essays:

• Climate change liability & lawsuits.
• Strategies for conservation and protection under environmental law.
• Consequences of non-compliance with regulations on the environment.
• Impact of trade agreements on environment protection.
• Regulatory strategies for hazardous waste disposal.
• Strategies for enforcement and compliance with environment-related laws.
• International environment treaties and their implications.
• Effects of climate change legislation on the environment.
• Corporate environmental policies and regulations and their effects.
• Role of law in mitigating environment-related issues.

Environmental Justice Research Topics

Environmental justice seeks to ensure equitable treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in ecological protection, regardless of their race, sex, or economic status. Environment topics related to justice can provide valuable insights into ecological issues and their impacts. Listed below are justice-related Environmental topics to research:

• Implications of unequal access to resources.
• Disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.
• Consequences of marginalization of marginalized communities from environmental processes.
• Links between poverty and environment degradation.
• Effects of non-participation in environment-related decision-making.
• Policies to ensure access to clean air and water.
• Impact of social inequality on environment protection.
• Intersection between gender, race, and environment justice.
• Ecological consequences of corporate negligence of marginalized communities.
• Disproportionate implications of climate change on vulnerable populations.

Environmental Policy Research Paper Topics

Environmental policy is a set of laws, rules, and regulations created to protect the environment as well as its resources. Studying environment-related policies provides an area for students to explore a range of subjects related to the environment, ranging from local to global. Below are potential environmental sciences research topics for your reference.

• Environmental policy initiatives' implications on global climate change.
• Effectiveness of carbon taxes for air pollution control.
• Land use and development impact on the environment.
• Water quality in the united states, focusing on natural resource governance.
• Educational initiative's impact on public opinion and policy outcomes.
• Social aspects of policy making and implementation on the environment.
• Promoting sustainability from a global perspective.
• Potential for justice initiatives in promoting equitable and effective management.
• Rise of green economy its impact.
• Environment policies and their potential for success.

Environmental Economics Research Topics

Environmental economics seeks to understand environmental issues from an economic perspective. Examining environmental studies topics can offer insights into ecological conservation and sustainability while connecting protection efforts with economic interests and helping inform policies. The following are creative topics about environmental science related to economics:

• Economic impacts of regulating the environment.
• Strategies for environmentally sustainable economic growth.
• Consequences of non-compliance with environment-related regulations.
• Environment conservation and protection using economic incentives.
• Taxes and subsidies and their implications on the environment.
• Economic implications of climate change legislation.
• The private sector role in environment conservation and protection.
• Green finance role in mitigating ecological issues.
• Economics of pollution control and management.
• Conservation and protection of the environment in the face of economic interests.

>> Learn more: Economics Research Topics

Environmental Biology Research Topics

Environmental biology is a field of science that focuses on understanding the interactions between living organisms and their environment. It covers environmental biology topics such as biodiversity, conservation, pollution, management, health, and sustainability. The following are environment research paper topics related to biology:

• Biodiversity conservation in managing the environment.
• Role of biotechnology in reducing air pollution.
• Environment degradation and its consequences on wildlife.
• Role of microorganisms in maintaining soil fertility.
• Ecological consequences of over-exploitation of natural resources.
• Habitat fragmentation and its role in species conservation.
• Education's role in environment conservation.
• Environment degradation and its effects on food security.
• Invasive species and their impacts on ecosystem.

Keep in mind that we have a whole blog on biological topics if you need more ideas in this field.

Environmental Chemistry Research Topics

Environmental chemistry research is a complex interdisciplinary field aiming to understand the behavior of a chemical process within an environment. It involves researching the impact of pollutants in the air, soil, water, and other ecological media. Possible research topics about the environment related to this field include:

• Effect of agricultural chemicals on water systems.
• Air pollution control strategies and their effectiveness.
• Climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
• Sources and implications of persistent organic pollutants.
• Air quality monitoring for urban areas.
• Water quality monitoring in coastal areas.
• Characterization and fate of toxic compounds in soil and groundwater.
• Impact of hazardous chemical waste on the environment.
• Monitoring and remediation of contaminated sites.
• The roles of environmental chemistry in climate change research.

Need more ideas? There is one more blog with  chemistry research topics  on our platform.

Environmental Health Science Research Topics

Environmental health is a diverse field focusing on the natural environment as well as its effects on human health. It is an interdisciplinary field that offers environment topics for research, such as environmental epidemiology, toxicology, and ecology, in addition to risk assessment. Provided below is a list of topics for an environmental science project that is suitable for your research paper:

• Air pollution effects on human health.
• Climate change effects on health.
• Water pollution and public health.
• Noise pollution effects on well-being.
• Mental health effects of environment-related toxins.
• Human health effects of natural disasters.
• Urbanization's effect on human health.
• Sustainable development and public health.
• Role of social media in promoting environmental health and awareness.
• Biodiversity preservation and its impact on human health.

Other Ideas & Topics About Environment for Research Papers

Ecological crisis is a key issue that has continuously affected planet earth. People are becoming more aware of environmental problems as well as their impact on health, well-being, and quality of life. As such, ecological fields for research are becoming ever more critical. This section will explore interesting environmental topics related to current ecological issues, controversial, interesting topics, easy research questions for projects, as well as unique research areas which students might study. These environmental issue project ideas below will help you develop interesting fields for research papers.

Current Issues in Environmental Science

Current ecological issues are a hot topic that has become increasingly important. They provide outstanding environmental issues to write about due to their impact on the environment and human health. The following are environmental issue topics for paper writing that are currently in discussion:

• Global warming and how to prevent its impact.
• Sustainable energy and its role in protecting the environment.
• Water conservation practices.
• Renewable energy role in global ecological protection.
• Carbon footprint and climate change.
• Ozone layer depletion and its effects on human health.
• Plastic pollution and its impact.
• Land degradation and soil erosion.
• Energy industry activities effects on ecological health.
• Air pollution and its impact on human health.
• Deforestation and its consequences.
• Effect of agricultural practices on ecological health.
• Overuse and exploitation of natural resources.
• Industrial waste impact on health.
• Green technology role in ecological protection.

Controversial Environmental Topics for Research Paper

Environmental controversies constitute a significant challenge facing society today. From climate change to air and water pollution, the effects of human activity on our natural environment are increasingly becoming a focus of public debate and research. Research papers on environmental controversial topics can help inform the public as well as policymakers about the potential impacts of human activities on the environment. The following are examples of environmental controversy topics for research paper:

• Climate change: is human activity a primary cause of global warming.
• Deforestation: are current logging practices sustainable in the long term.
• Air pollution: what are the health impacts of air pollution.
• Water pollution: how is water pollution impacting biodiversity and ecosystems.
• Geothermal energy: what potential impacts does geothermal energy extraction have on the environment.
• Renewable energy: are wind and solar energy carbon-neutral.
• Arctic drilling: is drilling for oil in the arctic ocean a viable option given current climate conditions.
• Nuclear power: what health risks are associated with nuclear power plants.
• Biodiversity loss: what steps can you take to protect biodiversity from human activities.
• Endangered species: how protecting endangered species can impact conservation efforts and how they live.
• GMO foods: are genetically modified organisms safe for human consumption? how does GMO food affect humans.
• Pesticides: how does pesticide use affect our health and the environment.
• Ocean acidification: how is ocean acidification impacting marine ecosystems.
• Waste management: what are the most effective ways to manage waste and reduce pollution.
• Resource exploitation: how does the exploitation of natural resources impact local communities.

Interesting Environmental Research Topics

In the context of environmental subjects, research topics explore the effects of human activities on the environment as well as the potential solutions to the identified problems. In addition to providing insight into ecological protection and conservation, research areas in this category cover social issues related to environmentalism and ecological justice. Below are interesting environmental science topics to consider when looking for a research topic in the future:

• Effects of environment-related toxins on human health.
• Climate change effects on coastal habitats.
• Agricultural activities impacts on the environment.
• Groundwater contamination and its effects on water quality.
• Pollution from factories and its impact on the environment.
• Waste management strategies and their impacts.
• Consequences of water contamination on local wildlife.
• Impacts of mining.
• Deforestation effects on ecosystems and species diversity.
• Industrial fishing practices effects.
• Sustainable forestry practices and their impact on ecosystems.
• Nuclear energy production and its consequences.
• Reducing emissions from vehicles and their effects on air quality.
• Landfills implications on the environment.
• Implications of plastic pollution.

Easy Environmental Research Questions for Projects

When it comes to environmental science topics for project work, there are plenty of easy options. Research projects in this category can explore ecological issues as well as their consequences or potential solutions to these problems. The following is a list of the top fifteen most accessible environment project topics for your research project.

• Air pollution levels impact on urban areas.
• Agricultural practices effects on the environment.
• Developing strategies for sustainable development.
• Causes of water contamination.
• Factors contributing to global warming.
• Natural disasters effects on the environment.
• Land use changes effects on the environment.
• Energy consumption impacts on the environment.
• Climate change effects on the environment.
• Industrialization and its consequences.
• Impact of plastic pollution.
• Health risks associated with air pollution.
• Deforestation impacts on the environment.
• Soil erosion and its effects on the environment.
• Causes and consequences of species extinction.

Unique Environmental Research Topics for Students

As environmental issues become increasingly complex, research fields for students become more varied. Unique environmental research topics for college students can range from local ecological concerns to global ones. The following are fifteen unique environmental science research topics for high school students and college students:

• Climate change impact on water quality.
• Acid rain and its effects.
• Urbanization's effect on biodiversity.
• Effects of offshore drilling.
• Ocean acidification and its impact.
• Impact of privatization on natural resources.
• Effectiveness of renewable energy sources.
• Relationship between energy consumption and the environment.
• Potential impacts regarding genetic engineering on biodiversity.
• Toxic waste disposal and its impacts.
• Environment-related policies impact on water quality.
• Deforestation and its effects on soil quality.
• Causes and consequences of ozone layer depletion.
• Relationship between pollution and public health issues.

Final Thoughts on Environmental Topics for Research Papers

This article has provided 235 environmental science research topics for research papers as well as project work that high school and college students can use. Topics range from local issues, such as assessing air pollution levels in an urban area, to global concerns, like examining the ecological effects of plastic pollution. Whether its health risks are associated with air pollution in an environment or the impacts of industrialization, research can help shape your understanding of how to protect as well as preserve our planet. It is up to the students to identify good environmental research topics that are interesting and relevant to them and to delve deeper to understand the earth better.

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50 Best Environmental Science Research Topics

May 31, 2023

Environmental science is a varied discipline that encompasses a variety of subjects, including ecology, atmospheric science, and geology among others. Professionals within this field can pursue many occupations from lab technicians and agricultural engineers to park rangers and environmental lawyers. However, what unites these careers is their focus on how the natural world and the human world interact and impact the surrounding environment. There is also one other significant commonality among environmental science careers: virtually all of them either engage in or rely on research on environmental science topics to ensure their work is accurate and up to date.

In this post, we’ll outline some of the best environmental science research topics to help you explore disciplines within environmental science and kickstart your own research. If you are considering majoring in environmental science or perhaps just need help brainstorming for a research paper, this post will give you a broad sense of timely environmental science research topics.

What makes a research topic good?

Before we dive into specific environmental science research topics, let’s first cover the basics: what qualities make for a viable research topic. Research is the process of collecting information to make discoveries and reach new conclusions. We often think of research as something that occurs in academic or scientific settings. However, everyone engages in informal research in everyday life, from reading product reviews to investigating statistics for admitted students at prospective colleges . While we all conduct research in our day-to-day lives, formal academic research is necessary to advance discoveries and scholarly discourses. Therefore, in this setting, good research hinges on a topic in which there are unanswered questions or ongoing debates. In other words, meaningful research focuses on topics where you can say something new.

However, identifying an interesting research topic is only the first step in the research process. Research topics tend to be broad in scope. Strong research is dependent on developing a specific research question, meaning the query your project will seek to answer. While there are no comprehensive guidelines for research questions, most scholars agree that research questions should be:

1) Specific

Research questions need to clearly identify and define the focus of your research. Without sufficient detail, your research will likely be too broad or imprecise in focus to yield meaningful insights. For example, you might initially be interested in addressing this question: How should governments address the effects of climate change? While that is a worthwhile question to investigate, it’s not clear enough to facilitate meaningful research. What level of government is this question referring to? And what specific effects of global warming will this research focus on? You would need to revise this question to provide a clearer focus for your research. A revised version of this question might look like this: How can state government officials in Florida best mitigate the effects of sea-level rise?

Our interest in a given topic often starts quite broad. However, it is difficult to produce meaningful, thorough research on a broad topic. For that reason, it is important that research questions be narrow in scope, focusing on a specific issue or subtopic. For example, one of the more timely environmental science topics is renewable energy. A student who is just learning about this topic might wish to write a research paper on the following question: Which form of renewable energy is best? However, that would be a difficult question to answer in one paper given the various ways in which an energy source could be “best.” Instead, this student might narrow their focus, assessing renewable energy sources through a more specific lens: Which form of renewable energy is best for job creation?

 3) Complex

As we previously discussed, good research leads to new discoveries. These lines of inquiry typically require a complicated and open-ended research question. A question that can be answered with just a “yes” or “no” (or a quick Google search) is likely indicative of a topic in which additional research is unnecessary (i.e. there is no ongoing debate) or a topic that is not well defined. For example, the following question would likely be too simple for academic research: What is environmental justice? You can look up a definition of environmental justice online. You would need to ask a more complex question to sustain a meaningful research project. Instead, you might conduct research on the following query: Which environmental issue(s) disproportionately impact impoverished communities in the Pacific Northwest? This question is narrower and more specific, while also requiring more complex thought and analysis to answer.

4) Debatable

Again, strong research provides new answers and information, which means that they must be situated within topics or discourses where there is ongoing debate. If a research question can only lead to one natural conclusion, that may indicate that it has already been sufficiently addressed in prior research or that the question is leading. For example, Are invasive species bad? is not a very debatable question (the answer is in the term “invasive species”!). A paper that focused on this question would essentially define and provide examples of invasive species (i.e. information that is already well documented). Instead, a researcher might investigate the effects of a specific invasive species. For example: How have Burmese pythons impacted ecosystems in the Everglades, and what mitigation strategies are most effective to reduce Burmese python populations?

Therefore, research topics, including environmental science topics, are those about which there are ample questions yet to be definitively answered. Taking time to develop a thoughtful research question will provide the necessary focus and structure to facilitate meaningful research.

10 Great Environmental Science Research Topics (With Explanations!)

Now that we have a basic understanding of what qualities can make or break a research topic, we can return to our focus on environmental science topics. Although “great” research topics are somewhat subjective, we believe the following topics provide excellent foundations for research due to ongoing debates in these areas, as well as the urgency of the challenges they seek to address.

1) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Although climate change is now a well-known concept , there is still much to be learned about how humans can best mitigate and adapt to its effects. Mitigation involves reducing the severity of climate change. However, there are a variety of ways mitigation can occur, from switching to electric vehicles to enforcing carbon taxes on corporations that produce the highest carbon emission levels. Many of these environmental science topics intersect with issues of public policy and economics, making them very nuanced and versatile.

In comparison, climate change adaptation considers how humans can adjust to life in an evolving climate where issues such as food insecurity, floods, droughts, and other severe weather events are more frequent. Research on climate change adaptation is particularly fascinating due to the various levels at which it occurs, from federal down to local governments, to help communities anticipate and adjust to the effects of climate change.

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation represent excellent environmental science research topics as there is still much to be learned to address this issue and its varied effects.

2) Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is another fairly mainstream topic in which there is much to learn and research. Although scientists have identified many forms of sustainable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, questions remain about how to best implement these energy sources. How can politicians, world leaders, and communities advance renewable energy through public policy? What impact will renewable energy have on local and national economies? And how can we minimize the environmental impact of renewable energy technologies? While we have identified alternatives to fossil fuels, questions persist about the best way to utilize these technologies, making renewable energy one of the best environmental science topics to research.

3) Conservation

Conservation is a broad topic within environmental science, focusing on issues such as preserving environments and protecting endangered species. However, conservation efforts are more challenging than ever in the face of a growing world population and climate change. In fact, some scientists theorize that we are currently in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. While these issues might seem dire, we need scientists to conduct research on conservation efforts for specific species, as well as entire ecosystems, to help combat these challenges and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

4) Deforestation

The Save the Rainforest movement of the 1980s and 90s introduced many people to the issue of deforestation. Today, the problems associated with deforestation, such as reduced biodiversity and soil erosion, are fairly common knowledge. However, these challenges persist due, in part, to construction and agricultural development projects. While we know the effects of deforestation, it is more difficult to identify and implement feasible solutions. This is particularly true in developing countries where deforestation is often more prevalent due to political, environmental, and economic factors. Environmental science research can help reduce deforestation by identifying strategies to help countries sustainably manage their natural resources.

Environmental Science Topics (Continued)

5) urban ecology.

When we think of “the environment,” our brains often conjure up images of majestic mountain ranges and lush green forests. However, less “natural” environments also warrant study: this is where urban ecology comes in. Urban ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment in urban settings. Through urban ecology, researchers can address topics such as how greenspaces in cities can reduce air pollution, or how local governments can adopt more effective waste management practices. As one of the newer environmental science topics, urban ecology represents an exciting research area that can help humans live more sustainably.

6) Environmental Justice

While environmental issues such as climate change impact people on a global scale, not all communities are affected equally. For example, wealthy nations tend to contribute more to greenhouse-gas emissions. However, less developed nations are disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change . Studies within the field of environmental justice seek to understand how issues such as race, national origin, and income impact the degree to which people experience hardships from environmental issues. Researchers in this field not only document these inequities, but also identify ways in which environmental justice can be achieved. As a result, their work helps communities have access to clean, safe environments in which they can thrive.

7) Water Management

Water is, of course, necessary for life, which is why water management is so important within environmental science research topics. Water management research ensures that water resources are appropriately identified and maintained to meet demand. However, climate change has heightened the need for water management research, due to the occurrence of more severe droughts and wildfires. As a result, water management research is necessary to ensure water is clean and accessible.

8) Pollution and Bioremediation

Another impact of the increase in human population and development is heightened air, water, and soil pollution. Environmental scientists study pollutants to understand how they work and where they originate. Through their research, they can identify solutions to help address pollution, such as bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to consume and break down pollutants. Collectively, research on pollution and bioremediation helps us restore environments so they are sufficient for human, animal, and plant life.

9) Disease Ecology

While environmental science topics impact the health of humans, we don’t always think of this discipline as intersecting with medicine. But, believe it or not, they can sometimes overlap! Disease ecology examines how ecological processes and interactions impact disease evolution. For example, malaria is a disease that is highly dependent on ecological variables, such as temperature and precipitation. Both of these factors can help or hinder the breeding of mosquitoes and, therefore, the transmission of malaria. The risk of infectious diseases is likely to increase due to climate change , making disease ecology an important research topic.

10) Ecosystems Ecology

If nothing else, the aforementioned topics and their related debates showcase just how interconnected the world is. None of us live in a vacuum: our environment affects us just as we affect it. That makes ecosystems ecology, which examines how ecosystems operate and interact, an evergreen research topic within environmental science.

40 More Environmental Science Research Topics

Still haven’t stumbled upon the right environmental science research topic? The following ideas may help spark some inspiration:

• The effects of agricultural land use on biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The impact of invasive plant species on ecosystems.
• How wildfires and droughts shape ecosystems.
• The role of fire ecology in addressing wildfire threats.
• The impact of coral bleaching on biodiversity.
• Ways to minimize the environmental impact of clean energies.
• The effects of climate change on ocean currents and migration patterns of marine species.

Environmental Justice and Public Policy

• Opportunities to equalize the benefits of greenspaces for impoverished and marginalized communities.
• The impact of natural disasters on human migration patterns.
• The role of national parks and nature reserves in human health.
• How to address inequalities in the impact of air pollution.
• How to prevent and address the looming climate refugee crisis.
• Environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives to deforestation in less developed countries.
• Effects of environmental policies and regulations on impoverished communities.
• The role of pollutants in endocrine disruption.
• The effects of climate change on the emergence of infectious diseases.

AP Environmental Science Research Topics (Continued)

Soil science.

• Effects of climate change on soil erosion.
• The role of land management in maintaining soil health.
• Agricultural effects of salinization in coastal areas.
• The effects of climate change on agriculture.

Urban Ecology

• How road construction impacts biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The effects of urbanization and city planning on water cycles.
• Impacts of noise pollution on human health.
• The role of city planning in reducing light pollution.

Pollution and Bioremediation

• The role of bioremediation in removing “forever” chemicals from the environment.
• Impacts of air pollution on maternal health.
• How to improve plastic recycling processes.
• Individual measures to reduce consumption and creation of microplastics.
• Environmental impacts of and alternatives to fracking.

Environmental Law and Ethics

• Ethical implications of human intervention in the preservation of endangered species.
• The efficacy and impact of single-use plastic laws.
• Effects of religious and cultural values in environmental beliefs.
• The ethics of climate change policy for future generations.
• Ethical implications of international environmental regulations for less developed countries.
• The impact and efficacy of corporate carbon taxes.
• Ethical and environmental implications of fast fashion.
• The ethics and efficacy of green consumerism.
• Impacts of the hospitality and travel industries on pollution and emissions.
• The ethical implications of greenwashing in marketing.
• Effects of “Right to Repair” laws on pollution.

Final Thoughts: Environmental Science Research Topics

Environmental science is a diverse and very important area of study that impacts all aspects of life on Earth. If you’ve found a topic you’d like to pursue, it’s time to hit the books (or online databases)! Begin reading broadly on your chosen topic so you can define a specific research question. If you’re unsure where to begin, contact a research librarian who can connect you with pertinent resources. As you familiarize yourself with the discourse surrounding your topic, consider what questions spring to mind. Those questions may represent gaps around which you can craft a research question.

Interested in conducting academic research? Check out the following resources for information on research opportunities and programs:

• Research Opportunities for High School Students
• Colleges with the Best Undergraduate Research Programs
• College Success
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Emily earned a BA in English and Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in English from Wake Forest University. While at UNC and Wake Forest, she served as a tutor and graduate assistant in each school’s writing center, where she worked with undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds. She also worked as an editorial intern for the Wake Forest University Press as well as a visiting lecturer in the Department of English at WFU, and currently works as a writing center director in western North Carolina.

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Top 100 Environmental Science Project Topics

Table of contents

• 1 Climate Change
• 2 Renewable Energy
• 3 Urban Ecology
• 4 Land and Water Use
• 5 Pollution
• 6 Environmental Science Topics for College Students
• 7 Energy Resources and Consumption
• 8 Population
• 9 Noise and Light Pollution
• 10.1 Conclusion

With the environment and global warming in its current predicament, it’s no surprise that environmental science job opportunities will be on the rise in the very near future.

With the environment and global warming in its current predicament, it’s no surprise that environmental science job opportunities will be on the rise in the very near future. Therefore, so are the numbers of students pursuing studies in this field. The last four decades have seen huge changes in the rate of global warming and so more than ever before, we need people to study topics in environmental science.

For anyone majoring in environmental science, anyone needing to write  environmental studies project topics for a science course, or essay writer who is working on topical essays this comprehensive article will talk you through the top ten project topics to pursue. For each project topic, we’ll give you ten ideas.

Climate Change

There’ll always be an environment, but it’s looking more and more likely that it won’t be like our current one in the future. With this in mind, here are the top ten environmental project topics for college students on climate change:

• Is global warming a natural phenomenon?
• The politicization of global warming.
• How do eddy covariance towers work?
• Planetary tilt – does it affect global warming?
• The differences between climate change and the greenhouse effect.
• Why is carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas?
• How do changes to weather patterns affect the Earth’s climate?
• The concept of polar amplification.
• The barriers to climate change responses.
• The “heat island” effect.

Renewable Energy

Our advances through the industrial revolution and the use of fossil fuels are now coming back to bite us. Here are ten environmental topics for project on renewable energy:

• The pros and cons of hydropower.
• Solar energy and pollution.
• Solar energy to help the economy.
• Geothermal energy: an unlikely major energy source?
• The problems caused by renewable energies.
• Understanding geothermal energy.
• Are hydrogen fuel cells a viable alternative?
• The advantages and disadvantages of solar power.
• Transporting geothermal energy: a study.
• The challenges of large-scale biomass energy use.

Urban Ecology

Urban ecology is an important consideration for environmental science projects for college students who are eager to pay for essay to receive high grades for assignments. When we study the environment, we tend to think of green spaces and rural lands, but urban ecology is important too. As such, here are ten environmental science project ideas on this topic:

• How do unequal urban planning and greenspace distribution affect temperatures in a city?
• How does urbanization affect surrounding rural areas?
• How is the local climate affected by buildings and pavements?
• What is the urban heat island effect?
• How are water sources affected by urbanization?
• How has human development affected our green spaces?
• How is social identity linked to urbanization?
• What impact does transport have on rural locations?
• How can the natural environment be integrated into urban planning and design projects?
• What is water harvesting?

Land and Water Use

When humans use natural resources, they also disrupt natural ecosystems. This is an important area of study as we try to claw back and save some of the world’s resources from being entirely depleted. Here are ten interesting  environment related topics for project on this subject:

• How have overfishing and non-sustainable fishing methods affected our oceans?
• How does using water for irrigation affect natural ecosystems?
• The impacts of different societies’ ecological footprints in terms of waste production and resource demands.
• How can we mitigate deforestation?
• An analysis of The Green Revolution.
• The impact of salt application to streams.
• How does using an ANN (artificial neural network) for rainfall-runoff affect ecosystems?
• How do land-use changes impact urban runoff?
• Relationships between water quality, land use and land use change.
• Land use effects on lake water quality.

Pollution is one of the planet and humanity’s worst enemies. Agriculture, transportation, and industry can cause horrific environmental catastrophes. Check out the possible environment science project topics on pollution:

• The impact of pollution on health care.
• The effects of environmental pollution and water pollution on marine life.
• The effects of air pollution on the food chain.
• How environmental pollution affects Arctic.
• The health hazards associated with waste accumulation and water pollution.
• How do human activities change the world’s oceans?
• Conservation and how it helps to reduce air pollution.
• The difficulty of establishing direct links between health problems, air pollution, and air quality.
• Environmental policy regarding air pollution and acid rain.
• The effect of acid rain in urban and natural areas.

Environmental Science Topics for College Students

Environmental studies at college is all about studying in-depth biological, chemical, and physical processes on Earth. Environmental sciences also incorporates social, cultural, and political processes that have an impact. When studying Environmental Science at college level, a project need to seek out ways to present complex relationships in a simple way. Here are some ideal environmental science projects for college students:

• Genetically Modified (GM) foods and their impact on the environment.
• The global impact of radiation and nuclear accidents.
• The role of the UNEP in environmental conservation.
• The impact of freak weather incidents.
• Micro-plastics in drinking water – why and how have they got there?
• The Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings – what have we learned about nuclear bombs and the effects on the ecosystem?
• The impact of Coronavirus and maintaining the ecosystem.
• The role of the media in conservation campaigns.
• Tourism and the impact of human activities on a local and global level.
• How has the US departure from the Paris Climate Agreement changed things?

Energy Resources and Consumption

Lots of  environmental studies project topics goes into looking at energy resources and consumption, which makes this a great project topic. There is already a lot of information out there, which makes this easy to research.

• What is the relationship between energy efficiency and energy conservation?
• What are the economic, social, and environmental costs of solar energy?
• Was coal pivotal in industrialization?
• The impact of fracking on the environment.
• Compare and contrast the processes of extracting oil and mining coal.
• How is ethanol produced as a biofuel?
• Nuclear energy is a viable clean energy. Discuss.
• The environmental effects of a nuclear conflict explored.
• What is plant biomass?
• The challenges of converting to large-scale biomass energy.

You can't write a list environment project topics  about environmental science, without mentioning population, environmental health, and the changes we've seen over the years. A lot of environment research focuses on population and its effects. Here are some ideas:

• Population growth and its effects on GDP.
• Factors that control population growth and the effect of density.
• An exploration of population momentum.
• The importance of studying population ecology.
• The effect of human migration on populations.
• The effects of overpopulation.
• The effects of global warming on the global population.
• Is sustainable development possible in a growing population?
• What would happen if the demand for natural resources became greater than the supply?
• How serious is the world population explosion?

Noise and Light Pollution

Though lots of people don’t consider light and noise as pollutants, the reality is that they are. Noise levels and light levels can affect organisms. Here are some interesting topics for science projects on noise and light pollution:

• How is local wildlife affected by airport noise?
• What happens if orcas aren’t able to use echolocation due to freight noise?
• Migrating birds and the confusion from bright lights.
• The effect of bright lights in resorts and sea turtles emerging from nests.
• How bright city lights affect nocturnal animals.
• The disruption of nocturnal activity in frogs and toads due to artificial light glare.
• Artificial lights and the effects on migratory birds.
• Light pollution and the effects on plants.
• Changes in animal behavior due to noise pollution.
• Noise pollution and the effects on mating frogs.

Conservation Biology

With as many as 2,000 species becoming extinct each year, we’re experiencing a serious problem. Conservation biology is a huge topic of interest when you need to " write my essay " and want to succeed with this task. Here are some ideas for exploration:

• How has human behavior ramped up endangered species extinction rates?
• How do humans threaten endangered species?
• What will the effects of a loss in biodiversity be for humans?
• If honeybees become extinct, what other changes would we see?
• Why is the decline in pollinating insects so dangerous?
• What happens if we lose endangered species?
• What is the Holocene extinction event?
• The collapse of the world’s coral reef ecosystems.
• The threat of acidification in our oceans.
• How can environmental policy help threats to biodiversity?

It's clear to say that there is a huge variety in topics in environmental science. For anyone looking for an environmental science project topic, we hope this extensive list has helped narrow down your ideas. Whether you're looking for environmental research topics for college students or high school, there is something for everyone here.

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Top 150 Environmental Science Research Topics

Hey there, fellow explorers of the environmental world. Ready to dive into the kingdom of Environmental Science? We’ve got an epic list of the Top 150 Environmental Science Research Topics waiting for you. 

From climate change mysteries to wildlife wonders, this treasure covers it all. Ever wondered about the impact of pollution on our oceans or how to protect endangered species? Curious about sustainable energy or the future of our planet’s forests? We’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re a student seeking inspiration for a killer research paper or just passionate about saving our planet, these topics are your launchpad into discovering, exploring, and understanding the world around us. Get ready to free your inner environmental scientist and make a difference one topic at a time.

Understanding The Concept Of Environmental Science

Table of Contents

Environmental science is a multidimensional field that examines relationships between human beings and the environment. It delves into understanding, protecting, and sustaining our planet’s health. Here’s a quick glance.

What is Environmental Science?

• Interdisciplinary Study: Environmental science combines elements of biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and social sciences to understand environmental issues comprehensively.
• Study of Systems: It focuses on ecosystems, examining how various components interact and influence each other within the environment.

Key Components

• Biodiversity: Understanding and conserving the variety of life forms on Earth.
• Climate Change: Examining the impacts of human activities on the Earth’s climate system.
• Pollution: Investigating the sources, effects, and mitigation strategies for air, water, and soil pollution.
• Resource Management: Exploring sustainable practices for using and conserving natural resources.

Importance of Environmental Science

• Critical Problem-Solving: Addresses pressing issues like habitat loss, water scarcity, and global warming.
• Policy Formation: Provides scientific data to guide environmental policies and regulations.
• Community Engagement: Educates and involves communities in environmental conservation efforts.

Careers in Environmental Science

• Environmental Scientist: Conducts research to identify and solve environmental problems.
• Conservation Biologist: Focuses on protecting and managing natural resources.
• Environmental Engineer: Designs systems to address environmental challenges.

Future Challenges

• Sustainable Development: It includes Balancing economic growth via environmental conservation.
• Climate Resilience: Adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
• Global Cooperation: Addressing environmental issues requires international collaboration.

Environmental science plays a pivotal role in shaping policies, technologies, and behaviors that contribute to a sustainable future. Understanding its significance empowers us to take proactive steps in preserving our planet for generations to come.

Updated 2024: Top 150 Environmental Science Research Topics

Now we are presenting an extensive collection of current and relevant subjects shaping the field. Covering climate change, biodiversity conservation, pollution, renewable energy, and much more, this curated list reflects the latest trends and pressing issues in environmental science. Dive into these topics to explore cutting edge research opportunities and contribute to the solutions that our planet urgently needs.

Top 10 Research Topics On Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

• Coastal Protection Measures
• Resilient Infrastructure Development
• Sustainable Agriculture in Changing Climates
• Community-Based Adaptation Initiatives
• Water Resource Management Strategies
• Urban Heat Island Mitigation
• Forest Conservation and Restoration
• Climate-Resilient Housing Solutions
• Biodiversity Conservation for Adaptation
• Renewable Energy Integration for Climate Resilience

Top 10 Research Topics On Biodiversity Conservation

• Endangered Species Protection Programs
• Habitat Restoration Initiatives
• Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity
• Conservation Genetics and Species Preservation
• Sustainable Management of Ecosystems
• Role of National Parks in Biodiversity Conservation
• Community-Based Conservation Efforts
• Biodiversity Hotspots and Priority Areas
• Wildlife Corridors and Connectivity Conservation
• Invasive Species Management Strategies

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Renewable Energy Sources

• Solar Energy: Advancements and Applications
• Wind Power: Harnessing Renewable Energy
• Hydroelectricity: Sustainable Hydropower Technologies
• Biomass Energy: Sustainable Fuel Sources
• Geothermal Energy: Earth’s Renewable Heat Source
• Tidal and Wave Energy: Harnessing Ocean Power
• Biofuels: Sustainable Alternatives for Transportation
• Solar Photovoltaic Technology: Efficiency and Innovation
• Wind Turbine Technology: Evolution and Efficiency
• Sustainable Energy Policies and Implementation

Top 10 Research Topics On Pollution Control And Mitigation

• Air Pollution Control Strategies
• Water Pollution Remediation Techniques
• Soil Contamination Management
• Industrial Pollution Prevention Methods
• Waste Management and Recycling
• Noise Pollution Reduction Measures
• Emission Reduction in Transportation
• Green Chemistry for Pollution Control
• Urban Planning for Pollution Mitigation
• Policy Frameworks for Pollution Control

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Sustainable Agriculture Practices

• Organic Farming Techniques and Benefits
• Agroforestry: Integrating Trees in Agriculture
• Permaculture: Sustainable Farm Design
• Soil Health Management in Agriculture
• Precision Agriculture for Resource Efficiency
• Crop Rotation and Diversification
• Water-Efficient Irrigation Methods
• Integrated Pest Management Strategies
• Sustainable Livestock Farming Practices
• Climate-Smart Agriculture Techniques

Top 10 Research Topics On Urban Environmental Management

• Urban Green Spaces and Biodiversity
• Waste Management in Urban Areas
• Air Quality Monitoring and Improvement
• Sustainable Urban Transportation
• Urban Heat Island Mitigation Strategies
• Stormwater Management in Cities
• Noise Pollution Control Measures
• Green Building and Sustainable Architecture
• Community Engagement in Urban Sustainability
• Urban Resilience and Adaptation Strategies

Top 10 Research Topics On Water Resource Management

• Urban Water Conservation Strategies
• Water Recycling and Reuse Methods
• Sustainable Groundwater Management
• Drought Management and Preparedness
• Efficient Agricultural Water Use
• River Basin Management and Restoration
• Stormwater Management Techniques
• Water Quality Monitoring and Protection
• Community-Based Water Resource Management
• Technology for Water Efficiency

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Air Quality Improvement

• Urban Air Pollution Control Measures
• Industrial Emission Reduction Strategies
• Indoor Air Quality Management
• Impact of Transportation on Air Quality
• Green Technologies for Air Purification
• Role of Vegetation in Air Quality Improvement
• Clean Energy Transition and Air Quality
• Air Quality Monitoring and Assessment
• Public Health Interventions for Air Pollution
• Policy Initiatives for Air Quality Enhancement

Top 10 Research Topics On Ecosystem Restoration

• Wetland Restoration Strategies
• Reforestation and Afforestation Programs
• Coral Reef Rehabilitation Efforts
• River and Stream Restoration Initiatives
• Urban Green Spaces and Restoration
• Degraded Land Restoration Techniques
• Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration
• Ecological Restoration in Mining Areas
• Restoring Biodiversity in Disturbed Ecosystems
• Restoring Indigenous Ecosystems and Habitats

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Environmental Policy And Governance

• Climate Change Policies and Agreements
• Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations
• National and International Conservation Laws
• Green Taxation and Incentive Programs
• Sustainable Development Goals Implementation
• Biodiversity Conservation Policies
• Water Resource Management Policies
• Waste Management Legislation
• Air Quality Control and Regulations
• Forest Protection and Governance

Top 10 Research Topics On Wildlife Conservation And Management

• Wildlife Population Monitoring Techniques
• Conservation Genetics for Endangered Species
• Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution
• Wildlife Trafficking and Illegal Trade
• Habitat Fragmentation and Conservation
• Protected Area Management and Expansion
• Wildlife Migration Patterns and Conservation
• Conservation of Keystone Species
• Captive Breeding and Reintroduction Programs
• Wildlife Forensics and Crime Investigation

Top 10 Research Topics On Ocean And Coastal Studies

• Coral Reef Conservation and Restoration
• Marine Biodiversity Monitoring
• Coastal Erosion and Management Strategies
• Ocean Acidification Impacts and Mitigation
• Marine Pollution: Causes and Solutions
• Oceanography: Understanding Marine Systems
• Sustainable Fisheries Management
• Tsunami and Storm Surge Studies
• Marine Protected Areas and Conservation
• Seabed Mining Impacts and Regulations

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Environmental Health And Toxicology

• Air Quality and Human Health
• Water Contamination and Public Health
• Pesticides and Human Exposure
• Heavy Metals and Health Impacts
• Endocrine Disruptors in the Environment
• Occupational Health in Hazardous Environments
• Environmental Carcinogens and Risks
• Risk Assessment in Toxicology
• Environmental Impact on Reproductive Health
• Neurotoxicity of Environmental Pollutants

Top 10 Research Topics On Green Technology Innovations

• Smart Grid Technology for Energy Efficiency
• Energy-Efficient Building Designs
• Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation
• Advanced Waste-to-Energy Technologies
• Nanotechnology in Environmental Remediation
• Green Chemistry : Sustainable Manufacturing
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
• Vertical Farming and Urban Agriculture
• AI and IoT in Environmental Monitoring
• Biodegradable Materials and Packaging

Top 10 Environmental Science Research Topics On Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

• Coastal Zone Adaptation Measures
• Agriculture Resilience to Climate Change
• Water Resource Management under Climate Change
• Infrastructure Adaptation for Extreme Weather
• Forest and Biodiversity Resilience Strategies
• Health Sector Adaptation to Changing Climates
• Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Adaptation
• Climate-Resilient Energy Infrastructure

And there you have it, folks, our ultimate list of 150 Environmental Science Research Topics. We’ve covered everything from climate change and biodiversity to pollution and renewable energy. But hey, this isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning of your eco-journey. Dive into these topics, explore what sparks your interest, and dig deep into making our planet a better place. Whether it’s studying ways to protect endangered species or finding innovative solutions for a greener tomorrow, there’s a topic here for everyone. So, grab your thinking cap, pick a topic, and let’s get cracking on saving the planet one research topic at a time.

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351 Environmental Science Research Topics & Ideas

18 January 2024

last updated

Environmental science research topics depend on a vast range of issues pivotal to understanding and safeguarding the natural world. Some themes may dive deep into studies of climate change, assessing its impact on ecosystems and suggesting mitigation strategies. Various topics also explore biodiversity, looking at species conservation and threats to habitats globally. Pollution is another focal area, investigating the sources, effects, and solutions to air, water, and soil contamination. Moreover, sustainable practices focus on renewable energy, green urban planning, and sustainable agriculture. This interdisciplinary field even scrutinizes human behavior, illustrating the complex interplay between socioeconomic factors and environmental health. Thus, environmental science research topics cover exploration, data interpretation, and creative problem-solving, all with the ultimate goal of developing ecologically responsible and sustainable methods for the proper coexistence of people and the natural world.

Hot Environmental Research Topics

• Understanding Climate Change and Food Security Nexus
• Unveiling Mysteries of Deep Ocean Biodiversity
• Exploring Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture
• Harnessing Green Energy: Opportunities and Challenges
• Rethinking Urban Design for Climate Resilience
• Insights Into Ecological Consequences of Deforestation
• Green Building Practices: A Comparative Study
• Endangered Species and Conservation Efforts: A Comprehensive Review
• Examining the Potential of Vertical Farming in Urban Areas
• Strategies for Plastic Waste Management: A Global Perspective
• Microplastics in Marine Ecosystems: An Unseen Threat
• Decoding Links Between Soil Health and Agricultural Productivity
• Effective Water Management Strategies in Arid Regions
• Emerging Contaminants in Freshwater Bodies: Trends and Solutions
• E-Waste Recycling: Technological Advancements and Challenges
• Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems: A Multidisciplinary Approach
• Human Behavioral Change for Environmental Sustainability
• Analyzing the Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health
• Biodiversity Hotspots and Their Conservation Significance
• Assessing Geoengineering Techniques for Climate Change Mitigation

Easy Environmental Research Topics

• Exploration of Solar Energy Advantages
• Rainwater Harvesting: A Simple Guide
• Why Recycling Matters: A Closer Look
• Green Spaces in Urban Planning
• Wildlife Conservation in Local Communities
• Understanding the Threat of Endangered Species
• Eco-Friendly Farming: The Basics
• Pollution in Cities: An Overview
• Renewable Energy: Current Trends
• Conservation of Water: Simple Methods
• Sustainable Living: Small Changes, Big Effects
• Climate Change: Easy-to-Understand Facts
• Rising Sea Levels: Exploring Causes
• Greenhouse Gases: A Beginner’s Study
• Composting at Home: An Introduction
• Biodiversity in Backyards: A Survey
• Plastic Waste: The Global Picture
• Community Gardens: Environmental and Social Benefits
• Forest Fires and Climate Change: A Link

Interesting Environmental Topics

• Decoding Coral Reef Bleaching Phenomena
• Intricacies of Permaculture Design Principles
• Fascinating World of Biofuels: A Deeper Dive
• Cryptic Life of Microorganisms in Soil Health Maintenance
• Innovative Techniques in Water Purification and Conservation
• Ecology of Urban Bees: A Novel Approach
• Mysterious Decline of Honeybee Populations
• Analysis of Climate Change Predictive Models
• Rise of Veganism: Environmental Implications
• Bizarre Effects of Light Pollution on Wildlife
• Ecosystem Services Provided by Wetlands
• Unfolding the Hidden Costs of Fast Fashion
• Overpopulation and Strain on Environmental Resources
• Wonders of Agroforestry: An Interdisciplinary Investigation
• Unraveling the Puzzle of Eutrophication
• Curious Case of Invasive Species: Winners or Losers?
• Dissecting the Intricacies of Carbon Footprints
• A Magnet for Pollution: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• Invisible Enemy: Silent Threat of Indoor Air Pollution
• Glacial Retreat: A Story of Changing Climates

Environmental Research Topics for High School

• Influence of Climate Change on Local Weather Patterns
• Renewable Energy Sources: An Overview
• Understanding the Process of Composting
• Examining the Threat of Endangered Species Locally
• Exploring the Concept of Carbon Footprint
• Deforestation and Its Consequences: A Closer Look
• Greenhouse Effect Simplified: Causes and Consequences
• Waste Management: Importance of Recycling and Reusing
• Biodiversity in Your Backyard: An Introduction
• Diving Into the World of Organic Farming
• Air Quality Index and Its Significance
• Examining Coral Reefs: Importance and Threats
• Water Conservation Techniques for Sustainable Use
• Unpacking the Plastic Problem: From Production to Pollution
• Agriculture and Its Environmental Effects: An Overview
• Urban Heat Islands: Causes and Mitigation Strategies
• Natural Disasters: Causes and Preparation Techniques
• Exploring the Connection Between Diet and Environment
• Invasive Species’ Impact on Native Ecosystems
• Sustainability in Action: Everyday Practices for a Greener Future

Environmental Research Topics for College Students

• Unraveling the Mystery of Coral Bleaching
• Environmental Justice: A Multidisciplinary Approach
• Sustainable Transport: A Comparative Study
• Diving Into Deep Sea Mining: Pros and Cons
• Solar Power Efficiency: Opportunities and Challenges
• Biodegradable Plastics: A Solution or a Mirage?
• Hydroelectric Power: Evaluating Environmental Trade-offs
• Permaculture Principles and Its Real-World Applications
• Ecotourism: An Assessment of Environmental and Social Effects
• Air Pollution and Public Health: An Interdisciplinary Study
• Ecological Footprint: Calculation and Interpretation
• Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Agriculture
• Industrial Agriculture vs. Organic Farming: A Comparative Analysis
• Urban Planning for Climate Resilience: A Detailed Review
• Conservation Strategies for Endangered Species
• Wetlands: Ecological Importance and Conservation Measures
• Ocean Acidification: Causes and Effects on Marine Life
• Green Architecture: Innovations and Challenges
• Sustainable Waste Management: Technological Innovations and Best Practices

Environmental Research Topics for University

• Interconnections Between Forest Fires and Climate Change
• Assessing Sustainability in Supply Chain Management
• Urban Sprawl and Environmental Degradation: A Case Study
• GMO Crops: An Environmental and Social Analysis
• Geospatial Techniques in Environmental Conservation
• Water Quality in Developing Countries: Comprehensive Study
• Marine Pollution: Sources, Consequences, and Mitigation Strategies
• Environmental Ethics: Perspectives and Applications
• Soil Erosion: Causes, Effects, and Control Measures
• Geoengineering Techniques for Climate Change Mitigation
• Sustainable Urban Development: New Avenues and Challenges
• Nanotechnology in Environmental Remediation: A Critical Review
• Climate Policy and International Relations: A Complex Nexus
• Sustainable Fashion: Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions
• Technological Innovations in Renewable Energy: A Trend Analysis
• Green Spaces and Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Review
• Trends in Sustainable Aquaculture Practices
• Wildlife Trafficking and Environmental Security: A Global Perspective
• Analyzing the Health Effects of Air Pollution
• Disposal and Management of Hazardous Waste: Current Techniques and Challenges

Topics in Environmental Science Research

• Challenges of Sustainable Resource Management
• Environmental Epigenetics: A New Frontier
• Plant-Based Diets and Sustainability: A Deeper Insight
• Unfolding Mysteries of Climate Migration Patterns
• Urban Ecology: Interactions of Humans and Nature
• Biochar as a Soil Amendment: An Analysis
• Threats to Arctic Ecosystems: A Detailed Review
• Influence of Mining Activities on Local Environments
• Deciphering the Ozone Layer Depletion Puzzle
• Flood Risk Management in Changing Climates
• Regenerative Agriculture: Practices and Prospects
• Methane Emissions From Livestock Farming: A Critical Review
• Ecohydrology: Interactions Between Water and Ecosystems
• Ecological Restoration of Degraded Landscapes
• Exploring the World of Conservation Genetics
• Plastic Pollution in Terrestrial Environments: An Emerging Issue
• Bioinformatics in Biodiversity Conservation: A Novel Approach
• Sustainable Tourism Practices: A Global Overview
• Life Cycle Analysis of Consumer Products
• Urban Farming Innovations: A Potential Solution for Food Security

Research Topics for Environmental Issues

• Deciphering the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Anthropogenic Effects
• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Innovation and Adoption Challenges
• Environmental Governance: Comparative Analysis of Global Frameworks
• Quantifying Biodiversity: Advanced Metrics and Methodologies
• Radiative Forcing From Atmospheric Aerosols: A Detailed Study
• Advancing Sustainable Urban Development: A Systems Perspective
• Environmental Risks of Nanomaterials: A Comprehensive Review
• Plant-Microbe Interactions in Phytoremediation: Molecular Mechanisms
• Ecological Modelling for Ecosystem Service Valuation
• Assessing Future Trajectories of Sea Level Rise
• Climate Change Adaptation: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Policy Interventions
• Agricultural Practices and Soil Carbon Sequestration: An In-Depth Study
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Environmental Behavior: A Cross-Cultural Analysis
• Sustainable Water Management in Arid Regions: Novel Approaches
• Challenges in Implementing a Circular Economy: A Case Study
• Holocene Climate Variability: Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions
• Green Chemistry: Emerging Techniques and Environmental Implications
• Bioenergy Production: Environmental Trade-Offs and Opportunities
• Ecosystem Resilience in the Face of Anthropogenic Disturbances

Environmental Safety and Health Topics for Research

• Health Implications of Air Quality: A Comprehensive Study
• Assessing Occupational Hazards in the Mining Industry
• Water Quality and Public Health: An Interdisciplinary Study
• Developing Safety Protocols in the Chemical Industry
• Exploring the Nexus Between Climate Change and Vector-Borne Diseases
• Managing Safety and Health in the Construction Industry
• Radioactive Pollution: Risks and Mitigation Strategies
• Effects of Noise Pollution on Human Health
• Biosecurity Measures in Agriculture: Policies and Implementation
• Assessing Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms to Human Health
• Exposure to Heavy Metals: Health Risks and Regulatory Standards
• Quantifying Health Impacts of Industrial Pollutants
• Food Safety in a Changing Climate: Challenges and Solutions
• Indoor Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases: A Detailed Study
• Developing Protocols for Hazardous Waste Management
• Assessing the Health Effects of Microplastics Exposure
• Understanding Health Risks of Pesticide Exposure in Agriculture
• Psychosocial Factors and Safety Culture in the Oil and Gas Industry
• Health Impact Assessment of Nuclear Energy Facilities

Environmental Engineering Topics for Research

• Innovative Techniques in Wastewater Treatment
• Biofuel Production: Process Optimization and Scale-Up Challenges
• Advancements in Water Desalination Technologies
• Novel Materials for Photovoltaic Cells
• Harnessing Energy From Tidal and Wave Power: Engineering Challenges
• Biodegradable Materials for Sustainable Packaging Solutions
• Remediation Techniques for Contaminated Soil
• Carbon Capture and Storage: Technological Developments
• Improving Efficiency of Wind Turbines: A Technical Review
• Sustainable Construction Materials: A Life Cycle Analysis
• Geotechnical Considerations for Offshore Wind Farms
• Green Synthesis of Nanomaterials for Environmental Applications
• Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment
• Modeling and Optimization of Landfill Gas Recovery
• Acid Mine Drainage: Mitigation Strategies and Techniques
• Environmental Biotechnology: Harnessing Microbes for Pollution Control
• Heat Transfer in Energy Efficient Buildings: An Analysis
• Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites for Construction Applications
• Sustainable Approaches to Pavement Design and Materials
• Developing Energy Efficient Processes in Chemical Industries

Research Topics for Environmental Biology

• Unraveling Symbiotic Relationships in Coral Reefs
• Genetic Diversity and Conservation: An Interdisciplinary Approach
• Decoding the Functioning of Biofilms in Environmental Systems
• Plant-Soil Interactions in Changing Climate Scenarios
• Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Bioremediation
• Eco-Immunology: Exploring Disease Dynamics in Wildlife Populations
• Plant Adaptation Strategies to Abiotic Stress Factors
• Marine Microbial Ecology: Unseen Life in the Oceans
• Metagenomics Approaches in Soil Microbial Ecology
• Understanding Invasive Species: Genetic and Ecological Perspectives
• Examining Trophic Interactions Under Climate Change
• Phylogenetic Analysis of Endangered Species for Conservation Strategies
• Genomics of Extremophiles: Survival in Harsh Environments
• Investigating Effects of Plastic Pollutants on Aquatic Life
• Landscape Genetics: Applications in Conservation Biology
• Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Plant Responses to Heavy Metal Stress
• Disease Dynamics in Pollinator Populations
• Functional Traits in Community Ecology: A Novel Approach
• Metabolic Engineering for Biofuel Production

Environmental Law Topics for Research

• Environmental Justice in Land Use Planning: A Legal Perspective
• Assessing Regulatory Frameworks for Carbon Markets
• International Law and Marine Plastic Pollution: A Comprehensive Analysis
• Enforcement Challenges in Wildlife Trafficking Laws
• Analysis of Climate Change Litigation: Global Trends
• Understanding the Legal Aspects of Transboundary Water Conflicts
• Legal Frameworks for the Conservation of Migratory Species
• Analysis of Environmental Impact Assessment Laws Across Countries
• Regulating Genetically Modified Organisms: A Comparative Legal Study
• Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Legal and Ethical Dimensions
• Evaluating Legal Mechanisms for Marine Protected Areas
• Exploring Legal Implications of Geoengineering Techniques
• Regulatory Challenges in the Transition to Renewable Energy
• Forest Rights and Conservation: A Legal Analysis
• Legal Frameworks for the Protection of Indigenous Environmental Knowledge
• Laws Regulating Hazardous Waste Management: A Comparative Study
• Legal Implications of Ecological Restoration Projects
• Regulation of Pesticides: Balancing Health and Environmental Concerns
• Legal Instruments for Regulating Noise Pollution: An Overview
• Analysis of International Agreements on Biodiversity Conservation

Environmental Research Topics About Economics

• Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services: A Critical Review
• Economic Analysis of Climate Change Mitigation Strategies
• Socioeconomic Drivers of Deforestation: A Comprehensive Study
• Green Growth: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries
• Assessing the Economic Viability of Renewable Energy Sources
• Economic Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation: An Overview
• Incorporating Environmental Costs in Product Pricing: A Case Study
• Investigating the Economics of Carbon Capture and Storage
• Market-Based Instruments for Pollution Control: A Detailed Analysis
• Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters: A Global Perspective
• Analysis of Cap-and-Trade Systems for Carbon Emissions
• Investigating the Effectiveness of Environmental Taxes
• Economic Analysis of Sustainable Agriculture Practices
• Assessing the Economic Feasibility of Biofuel Production
• Economic Implications of Water Scarcity: A Cross-Country Analysis
• Transition to a Circular Economy: Economic and Policy Considerations
• Economics of Sustainable Urban Development: A Detailed Study
• Cost-Benefit Analysis of Green Building Techniques
• Economic Impacts of Coastal Erosion and Sea Level Rise

Environmental History Research Topics

• Perception of Climate Change: A Historical Analysis
• Amazon Rainforest’s Environmental History Unraveled
• Consequences of the Agricultural Revolution on Environment: A Detailed Study
• United States Environmental Movements: An Historical Exploration
• Influence of the Industrial Revolution on Modern Environmental Challenges
• Green Spaces in Urban Planning: A History of Urban Parks
• Global Patterns and Causes of Deforestation: A Historical Overview
• Insights From Paleoclimatology: Climate Variability in Historical Context
• Arctic Exploration and Its Environmental History
• The Emergence of Environmental Law: A Historical Understanding
• From Fossil Fuels to Renewables: A History of Energy Transition
• River Management and Conservation: Historical Perspectives
• Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation From The Dust Bowl History
• Causes and Consequences of Marine Pollution: A Historical Analysis
• Natural Resource Exploitation in Colonial Periods: A Historical Overview
• Forest Management Practices: Historical Insights
• Endangered Species Conservation: Understanding the Historical Context
• Environmental Implications of Pesticide Use: A Historical Analysis
• Nuclear Age: Unraveling Its Environmental History

Controversial Environmental Research Topics

• Genetically Modified Crops: Environmental Savior or Biohazard?
• Nuclear Energy: A Sustainable Solution or Environmental Risk?
• Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Environmental Consequences
• Climate Change Denial: Analyzing the Motives and Consequences
• Geoengineering Solutions for Climate Change: Promise or Peril?
• Anthropocene: Valid Geological Epoch or Human Egotism?
• Intensive Animal Farming: Environmental Concerns and Ethical Dilemmas
• De-extinction and Its Potential Ecological Consequences
• Plastic Waste Management: Incineration vs. Recycling
• Neonicotinoids and Bee Decline: Assessing the Controversy
• Economic Growth vs. Environmental Protection: Reconciling the Dichotomy
• Landfilling vs. Zero Waste Approach: A Comparative Study
• Ocean Fertilization as a Carbon Sequestration Strategy
• E-Waste Management: Export or Domestic Recycling?
• Noise Pollution: Overlooked Environmental Hazard or Nuisance Issue?
• Fast Fashion Industry and Its Environmental Footprint
• Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Management: Boon or Bane?
• Palm Oil Production and Biodiversity Loss: A Complex Connection
• Desalination Plants: Solution for Water Scarcity or Ecological Threat?

Persuasive Environmental Research Topics

• Promoting Green Energy Transition: Evaluating Success Stories
• Waste Segregation at Source: An Essential Step Toward Effective Waste Management
• Adoption of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture
• Nature-Based Solutions: An Underutilized Tool in Climate Change Mitigation
• Changing Consumer Behavior for Sustainable Fashion
• Shifting to Public Transportation: A Key to Urban Sustainability
• Coral Reef Protection: Strategies and Success Stories
• Green Building: A Must for Sustainable Urban Development
• Incorporation of Environmental Education Into School Curriculum
• The Shift From Fast to Slow Fashion: Need of the Hour
• Afforestation as a Natural Climate Solution: Examining Its Potential
• Promoting Circular Economy: A Way Forward for Waste Reduction
• Divestment From Fossil Fuels: An Imperative Climate Action
• Supporting Indigenous Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation
• Plant-Based Diet: A Strategy for Reducing Carbon Footprint
• Urban Green Spaces: Essential for Human Wellbeing and Biodiversity
• Adoption of Electric Vehicles: A Key to Reduce Carbon Emissions
• Reducing Single-Use Plastics: A Critical Move Toward Sustainability
• Transitioning to Sustainable Fishing Practices: A Global Priority
• Decentralized Renewable Energy Systems: A Solution for Energy Access and Climate Mitigation

Argumentative Environmental Research Topics

• Dams and Hydroelectric Power: Net Gain or Loss for the Environment?
• Wind Energy: Assessing Arguments Around Bird Mortality
• Population Control: Necessary Environmental Strategy or Human Rights Violation?
• International Trade and Its Environmental Consequences
• Arguments Around Carbon Trading and Its Efficacy
• Trophy Hunting: Conservation Strategy or Ecological Disaster?
• Marine Protected Areas: Effective Conservation or Displacement of Fishing Pressure?
• Arguments For and Against Climate Change Geoengineering
• Food Waste: Ethical, Environmental, and Economic Implications
• GMOs and Biodiversity: Assessing Potential Risks
• Arguments Surrounding Water Fluoridation: An Environmental Perspective
• Ecotourism: Sustainable Practice or Threat to Wild Areas?
• Carbon Capture and Storage: Viable Solution or Costly Distraction?
• Deep Sea Mining: Economic Opportunity or Ecological Risk?
• Aquaculture: Solution to Overfishing or New Environmental Problem?
• Arguments For and Against Biofuels as a Green Energy Source
• Fusion Energy: Future of Clean Energy or Pipe Dream?
• Debate Around the Environmental Effects of Cryptocurrency Mining
• Environmental Implications of Space Travel and Exploration

Research Topics for Environmental Debates

• Pros and Cons of Solar Geoengineering as a Climate Solution
• Arguments Surrounding the Use of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
• Land Rights vs. Conservation: Examining the Debate
• Debate Around Large-Scale Reforestation and Natural Forest Regrowth
• Investigating the Controversy Over Invasive Species Control
• Environmental Justice in Waste Management: A Heated Debate
• Nuclear Power in the Age of Renewable Energy: An Ongoing Debate
• Controversy and Debate Surrounding Carbon Taxes
• Debating the Effects of Air Travel on Climate Change
• Green New Deal: Revolution or Unrealistic Ambition?
• The Controversy Around Synthetic Meat: Environmental Savior or Unproven Experiment?
• Analyzing the Debate Surrounding E-Waste Export Policies
• Understanding the Ongoing GMO Labeling Debate
• Debates Around Solar Energy and Land Use
• Animal Rights vs. Conservation: Unpacking the Conflict
• Exploring the Controversial Intersection of Environmentalism and Immigration
• Debate Over Ocean Acidification and Its Effects on Marine Life
• Investigating the Debate on the Environmental Impact of Veganism
• Analyzing the Controversy Over Urban Vertical Farming
• Debate Surrounding Environmental Cost of Electric vs. Gasoline Cars

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293 good nutrition research topics & ideas, 801 chemistry research topics & interesting ideas.

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80 sustainability research topics for students to explore green campus issues

You’re planning your thesis, paper or capstone? You want to do a student research project with impact. We have outlined a range of sustainability research topics for you. The list specifically focuses on how to green your campus . Take action to make your university more sustainable!

Our list of sustainability research topics helps students investigate green campus issues.

Sustainability research topics: Education

Some sustainability research topics on education for sustainable development :

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of different definitions of sustainability education? Which definition could your university adopt?
• To what extent is sustainability education already implemented in the curriculum of your university?
• What are the strengths and limitations of advancing sustainability education within your curriculum?
• Where does your university stand with regards to sustainability education compared to other institutions of higher education?
• What is the demand among students for more, different or better sustainability education?
• How can existing sustainability projects on campus be used for educational purposes, e.g. visit solar cells on rooftops as part of engineering classes?

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• What definition of sustainability research should your university embrace?
• To what extent is sustainability research already practised at your university?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the institution’s sustainability research portfolio compared to other institutions of higher education?
• What are the drivers of and barriers to sustainability research at your university?
• How could sustainability research help students to study sustainability issues on campus and inform practical change projects?
• What are the opportunities and costs associated with promoting sustainability research? What could a plan of action look like to strategically advance it?

Some sustainability research topics on community engagement and awareness:

• What are the perceptions of and attitudes towards sustainability by students and staff?
• What are ways to promote sustainable lifestyles among students?
• To what extent are students and staff aware of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ?
• How aware are students and staff about the institution’s sustainability ambitions?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of approaches to communicate the university’s sustainability efforts better?
• What are the challenges to involve students and staff in the university’s sustainability efforts?
• Which ways to increase the engagement of the campus community exist, for example by organising sustainability events ?

For inspiration, read our post on 10 projects to engage students on the SDGs .

Explore sustainability topics for research papers on different issues related to greening campus operations:

• What are the opportunities and costs of improving the building insulations to save energy?
• What lighting systems exist on the market that are more energy efficient?
• What would a business case look like to install a new lighting system?
• Where are the main consumers of energy on campus?
• What innovative energy technologies are developed at the institution itself? To what extent could those be directly installed and tested in buildings?
• What lux values are sufficient for work and study places so that places are appropriately lit without wasting too much electricity?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of different sustainable building standards?
• Which building standards would be most appropriate to inform the institution’s sustainable building policy?
• What are the costs and benefits associated with different types of green roofs?
• On which buildings could green roofs be installed?
• To what extent are catering and food products certified as organic or fair trade food?
• How much and why do students attach importance to organic and fair trade products sold in the cafeteria?
• How can students and employees be made more aware of the multiple benefits – e.g. health, environment, economics – of sustainable (organic, fair trade, local) food ?
• How much are students willing to pay for more organic or fair trade products?
• What types and amounts of waste are produced by whom and where at the institution?
• How did waste streams develop over the last years?
• What are innovative practices in reducing waste going to landfill or incineration? How could those be applied?
• What are the costs and benefits associated with waste recycling ?
• What options exist to switch from paper-based to more digital forms of working and studying to reduce paper consumption?
• What are the environmental, economic, and social benefits and disadvantages of different options to advance more digital working and studying?

More sustainability research topics on campus operations:

Biodiversity

• What species live at different campus locations?
• To what extent do students, faculty and staff value this biodiversity?
• What are ways to enhance biodiversity on campus?

Greenhouse-gase (GHG)

• What are the pros and cons of different GHG accounting standards?
• Which standard should the institution use to develop a GHG emissions inventory ?
• Where are GHG emissions released at the institution?
• How big is the institution’s GHG footprint?

Procurement

• What does sustainable procurement mean in the context of a university?
• How is procurement currently organised? To what extent are sustainability criteria already applied in tenders?
• To what extent could the university implement sustainability criteria that go beyond the legal minimum to advance the environmental, economic and social benefits of tenders?
• What are the largest consumers of water?
• What is the direct and indirect water-footprint of the institution?
• What are opportunities and costs to reduce water usage?

Transportation and mobility

• How do students and staff currently travel to the university and as part of their study or work?
• What is the environmental impact of these travel behaviours? How could the impact be reduced?
• What best practices exist among companies and other institutions of higher education to reduce staff travel or incentivize different travel behaviours?

Behaviour change

• What is the potential to reduce resource consumption through behaviour change?
• What are the best practices of behaviour change interventions at institutions of higher education?
• To what extent could these projects be also applied at your university?

Sustainability research topics on governance, strategy and reporting

Sustainability research topics on governance issues:

• What does sustainability mean for institutions of higher education?
• How does a comprehensive concept of a sustainable institution of higher education look like?
• How could the university’s long-term sustainability vision look like? How could this vision be realized through a roadmap?
• What are innovative ways to develop sustainability strategies for a university through a bottom-up approach?
• What ethical imperatives would demand that institutions of higher education care for their impact on the planet, people and profit?
• What are the responsibilities of institutions of higher education to contribute to global challenges, such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate change?

Monitoring and reporting

• What data is important to monitor the institution’s environmental impact? How can this data be collected and analysed?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of different sustainability reporting standards?
• Which sustainability reporting standards should the university adhere to?
• What are efficient ways to organize sustainability reporting within the organization?
• What is the best way to communicate results among students, staff and outside actors?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of different methodologies (e.g. payback or Net Present Value) to calculate the financial costs and benefits of sustainability investments?
• Which methodology should the institution apply?
• To what extent could sustainability projects be financed through a revolving loan fund?
• What are the possibilities to involve outside organizations through energy contracting?
• What subsidies are available at the European, national and city level to develop a green campus?
• How could the university use these financing options to advance its energy transition?
• What are approaches to integrate negative externalities into the accounting schemes of the university?
• What would be the opportunities, benefits and risks associated with establishing an energy company that’s owned by the university?
• What are the best practices to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at public institutions around the world?
• How can incentive schemes be changed so that energy end-users directly benefit from reductions in energy usage?

We hope this list inspired you to find a sustainability topic for research papers.

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Introduction to Environmental Science - 2nd Edition

(14 reviews)

Caralyn Zehnder

Kalina Manoylov

Samuel Mutiti

Christine Mutiti

Allison VandeVoort

Donna Bennett

Copyright Year: 2018

Publisher: University System of Georgia

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Sarah Schliemann, Lecturer, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 2/2/24

The book is missing many critical environmental subjects including agriculture, conservation, waste disposal, environmental justice, and environmental policy (among others). The book is also missing the human- environment connection. In addition,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 1 see less

The book is missing many critical environmental subjects including agriculture, conservation, waste disposal, environmental justice, and environmental policy (among others). The book is also missing the human- environment connection. In addition, there is little to no discussion of solutions to environmental issues. There is no glossary or index.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Environmental science evolves very fast. Many of the figures and data were very outdated, even considering the book is from 2018. For example, in the Human Demography chapter, the age structure diagrams for the United are from 2000, 2005, and 2010. In the alternative energy chapter, it still says "The main problem with the electric car is that it cannot go very far before it needs to be recharged, something that takes between three to six hours." This statement is not accurate today since fast chargers can fully charge a vehicle in under 30 minutes and many EVs now can go for hundreds of miles without recharging.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

As I said above, many of the figures and data are outdated. However, I don't know if there is a way to avoid this issue in environmental science without citing data, which would be problematic as well. Environmental science evolves very quickly and this book would need constant updates.

Clarity rating: 4

The book is clearly written and easy to follow.

Consistency rating: 4

The book is consistent and is easy to navigate.

Modularity rating: 4

The sections are well defined, with headings and subheadings. It could easily be broken up.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The organization is clear and logical. However, each chapter feels like it is isolated from the others. There isn't a theme running through the whole book.

Interface rating: 4

Images and text are clear and easy to read.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't notice any grammar errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

The book is lacking a global perspective on environmental issues.

Reviewed by Matthew Eick, Professor of Environmental Soil Chemistry and Environmental Science, Virginia Tech on 5/17/22

Overall the book is well written and the topics covered are covered adequately for an introduction environmental science class. However, I would like to see the topics covered in the introductory chapter expanded upon and be individual chapters. ... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Overall the book is well written and the topics covered are covered adequately for an introduction environmental science class. However, I would like to see the topics covered in the introductory chapter expanded upon and be individual chapters. For example Economics, environment, and public policy should be its own chapter. Economics and environmental science are deeply connected and the authors should go more in depth on this topic. Additionally, ecosystems and ecosystem services and biodiversity should be covered more in depth in a separate chapter. Finally, there should be chapters on soils, agriculture, environment and human health, and municipal and hazardous waste. Much of the environmental issues we are currently experiencing are related to these topics (i.e global pandemic, soil degradation and food shortages, and plastic pollution)

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Overall the book is very accurate. I would like to see an updated version with more recent statistics. Some of the data is from 2015 and a lot has changed since then especially with renewable energy. Also, in the non-renewable energy chapter I would like to see some information on tar sands. Furthermore, for nuclear energy the authors only discuss light water reactors and the environmental issues with nuclear. This leads the reader to feel that there is no place for nuclear power in the worlds energy portfolio. There is a whole new generation of nuclear reactors and a recent surge in start up companies examining nuclear energy as a bridge energy source to help us meet our climate goals (i.e terra power). I think this information is critical for environmental science.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I think updates will be relatively easy and straightforward. However, as mentioned above much of the statistics and data is outdated and the authors need to keep current with new technology such as the next generation of nuclear reactors and advances in renewable energy.

Overall the book is well written and clear and easy to follow.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent in terminology and framework.

Overall this is true except for the first chapter. This was called an introduction but many of the topics covered in this chapter could be stand alone chapters. Much of this information lays the critical framework for subsequent chapters in environmental science.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I have examined a myriad of environmental science textbooks and this book is consistent with the structure of an introductory environmental science textbook. Introduction, ecology (Which is included in the introduction and should be expanded as a chapter(s)), human population, energy, and pollution.

Interface rating: 5

I found the text to be free of significant errors. In fact I liked the interface as too many of the environmental science textbooks on the market today are littered with figures, tables, graphs, and side bars that they become distractive.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I only found a few grammatical errors that could easily be corrected.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The book is not culturally insensitive in anyway. In fact I encourage the authors to bring in more cultural examples related to environmental science. For example the hypothesized beginning of Covid-19 in the wet markets of China, high concentration of POPs in the Inuits, and human demography comparisons between developed and developing countries.

I enjoyed reading this textbook and if the authors expanded the subject matter to include additional topics nd the introduction I would consider using it in my introductory environmental science course.

Reviewed by Jill DeVito, Associate Professor of Instruction, Biology Department, University of Texas at Arlington on 5/23/21

Unfortunately, this book does not cover the more interesting (interdisciplinary, applied) environmental topics (environmental economics, environmental careers, legislation and legal issues, etc.). Another topic that I would like to see included... read more

Unfortunately, this book does not cover the more interesting (interdisciplinary, applied) environmental topics (environmental economics, environmental careers, legislation and legal issues, etc.). Another topic that I would like to see included is The Anthropocene.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Accuracy here is related to how quickly the information becomes outdated in this particular field. The newest edition of my current textbook is up to date (with references to recent executive orders flip-flopping the fate of public lands such as Bears Ears and Escalante, for example), but the open source .pdf does not even contain a positive result for the search term “Paris Agreement” from 2015. I do understand that the business model for open source textbooks does not allow for super frequent updating of the material, but in the subject area of environmental science that can be a deal-breaker. One more example of this: the section on electric vehicles contains a photograph of a prototype electric car from the 1985 World’s Fair. This makes the book look so unprofessional and hopelessly out of date that I would worry about losing my own credibility if I assigned it to my sophisticated Gen Z audience.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 1

See above; the book has become so hopelessly out of date that its accuracy was compromised. One advantage of an open source textbook (particularly the .pdf version) is the ability to link to outside sources of information that may be more current than the textbook (e.g., to the World Population Clock, NASA, NOAA, etc.). These are excellent. On the other hand, some of the links in this book are not very helpful (for example, linking to primitive websites like this one, with the intended video link completely dead, and some of the informational pages copyrighted in 1997: http://geothermaleducation.org).

Clarity rating: 3

The writing is fine. It is not better or worse than the writing I have seen in textbooks for purchase. But see above regarding how frequently it would need to be revised to remain useful.

Consistency rating: 2

Some of the headings are missing, which affects the searchability index. For example, not all of the Chapter “Learning Objectives” are labeled as such. Only four of the eight chapters show up in a search of “Learning Objectives.” Some others are labeled as “learning outcomes” in a different style font (as if overlooked in editing; e.g., chapter 2) and some are not labeled either way (e.g., chapter 3). I have a love/hate relationship with .pdf books, and the one thing I find they (should) always do better than a hard copy is respond instantly and accurately to a word search.

Modularity rating: 2

In summary, my current textbook covers 25 chapters and this one contains 8. There is some consolidation going on there, but the open source book is missing quite a lot of topics, in addition to the fact that consolidated chapters are more difficult to navigate.

See above (regarding the low number of chapters and also some of the inconsistencies in format)

I do like some of the learning objectives (for the existing chapters), which are in some cases similar to those I have intentionally added to my current course because they were not emphasized in the textbook I am using (e.g., precautionary principle).

Interface rating: 2

Since introductory textbooks are never “readable” enough for my taste (and they tend to cover similar content), I tend to judge books by the quality of the figures. That is ultimately one of the major reasons I chose my current textbook, and I one of the reasons I am not ready to switch away from it at this time. It is also one of my biggest complaints about the open source book that I currently use in another course. Not only are the images inferior in their design, but they also have technical limitations that are quite severe (i.e., when you try to export them to a presentation, exam, or learning management system, the image and especially the accompanying text become distorted or even unreadable). I noticed that this textbook is available as a Word document, and it looks like the images and text can be modified more effectively in that format, which is good (but time consuming). I also noticed a strange difference between the Word and .pdf versions of the book. The Word version has a very readable font (although of course that could be altered in the document). The .pdf version is stuck with a less readable font, which is unfortunate since it can’t be changed by the user.

I did not notice grammatical errors (but see format issues above).

I did not notice instances of insensitivity, but the book is notably lacking in some of the most important key concepts that I emphasize in my class, such as environmental refugees, environmental justice, and environmental racism.

The exercise of reviewing this book has made me come to understand why environmental science textbooks are difficult to find in the open source format. This topic seems to be too time sensitive to lend itself to effective treatment by part-time authors who are not being paid to keep the book up to date. It has made me think differently about possibly trying to compile resources myself (instead of using any textbook at all) in the event that I was motivated enough to make the leap to a low or zero cost lecture section.

Reviewed by Laurie DeRose, Assistant Professor of Sociology, The Catholic University of America on 12/29/20

The text provides many definitions, but they are not compiled in a glossary. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

The text provides many definitions, but they are not compiled in a glossary.

Missing some aspects of standard Demographic Transition theory.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Quite relevant!

A fairly easy read.

Very little analysis in the book; this made internal consistency relatively easy because definitions do not contradict.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Interface rating: 3

Nice images; a bit cumbersome to scroll (few links).

Not insensitive, but not particularly inclusive either.

I reviewed this book with an eye to using it to make a course in Population, Environment, and Society stronger on the "Environment" component. I am sure that my students could benefit from some of the good descriptions of natural science facts and principles, but like some of the other reviewers, I found it heavy on the natural science side, and weak on social and economic issues. For instance, Chapter 4 on Energy did not connect back to stages of the Demographic Transition presented in chapter 3: there is no physical science reason for making such connections, but plenty of social science reasons. Chapter 5 on Alternative Energy was probably the best for population and environment courses: it covered upsides and downsides of various alternatives in ways that would help my students understand that while innovation has allowed population to grow far larger than previous generations thought possible, innovation also brings new challenges. I liked being able to appreciate some of the basic science behind conclusions like "biomass energy can and cannot be carbon neutral." A key tradeoff that the text made clear was biomass for fuel v. biomass for food. A previous review said that the book handles human demography well, but because there was no attention to variation in the lag between the onset of mortality decline and fertility decline, I found the treatment wanting.

Reviewed by Engil Pereira, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/13/20

While, this book covers common topics suitable for environmental instruction of Introduction to Environmental Sciences, the comprehensiveness of the book would increase by adding chapters on: Agriculture, Economics, Biogeochemistry, as well as... read more

While, this book covers common topics suitable for environmental instruction of Introduction to Environmental Sciences, the comprehensiveness of the book would increase by adding chapters on: Agriculture, Economics, Biogeochemistry, as well as separate chapters for Oceans and Freshwater. One major problematic departure from our coursework is on economics in environmental science and its strong associations with human energy usage. Excepting an occasional passing mention on cost often without the defining basis, it otherwise wholly ignores micro- or macroeconomics as a holistic lense to view energy and environmental decision-making. For agriculture, the topic is mostly ignored, with the interest chiefly in the sector as a pollutant culminating in one page given to its major role in N2O emissions as the majority of their reference to perhaps the most intensive human efforts applying scientific ingenuity to managing the environment. Even agriculture’s notable pollution contribution to eutrophication is missed in this book’s cursory examination. The book handles Population (i.e., growth rates) and Human demography well. Regarding Environmental policy, relevant policies are mentioned throughout; however ,there is no formal approach to how environmental policies are formulated. Occasionally the authors do offer guidance on policy but appear to be derivatives of their personal ethical perspectives, rather than argued conclusions on compared equities.

Core topics appear to be well related. As mentioned in the Comprehensiveness section, there are relevant discussion areas that should be covered, and some interjections, as mentioned for policy, that may be biased guidance.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Due to the prospective nature of addressing climate change, graphs often are predictive for a near future and in danger of inaccuracies. Similarly references on energy-use will become dated. There are references to websites for additional resources, a Youtube link for a coal powerplant description, and an Excel spreadsheet for a list of terms that may be subject to third party accessibility. Most of the basic science and theories are pretty definitive.

Chapters begin with Learning objectives and chapter contents. The book is written with an accessible prose and examples on elk, cacti, and US energy-use are most familiar to a North American audience. Unfortunately some terms, such as “natural selection” are used but not defined. While more distracting than confusing, many times labelled terms are used prior to being defined (e.g., cells, sustainability, etc.). Or in the case of “competition”, made bold but never defined.

Consistency rating: 3

The first chapter does not follow the formatting or numbered headings of the succeeding chapters and could use subheadings. The end-of-chapter prompts vary in formatting and title, e.g., “Study Questions”, “Practice Problems”, “Questions”. The end-of-chapter term lists vary in formatting, and in one chapter relegated to an Excel spreadsheet.

Modularity rating: 5

The differing formats hints that these chapters were separately written, which may be why they seem modular enough to address in any order. Subheadings are present in most chapters aside from the first. Chapter contents are also given. There is a case when “Coal” is used as a heading twice, rather than for example, “Coal formation” and “Coal consumption for energy”.

The first chapter suffered from explaining biological molecules within cells, before defining cells. Understandably challenging because the flow was apparently to explain relevant science from physics to biology, then groupings in biology from cells to populations and ecosystems, but surprising to find the definition so late. Following the descriptions of the environment then the scientific method, the chapter then delves into sustainability, and other lenses to view environmental science without good transitions.

Most pictures and graphs are helpful. One graph of survivorship curves includes presumably data from the 20th century mixed with curves to the 22nd century. Mixing data with predictions is confusing and may age poorly.

There are not many grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

It does not seem culturally insensitive, but the section on human demographics could have included racial, ethnic, or even regional breakdowns for greater relevance.

I would like to commend the authors for putting time and efforts towards developing this textbook and making it available for all.

Reviewed by Steve Frysinger, Professor, James Madison University on 7/1/20

Environmental Science is the study of human interaction with the natural world, and therefore incorporates knowledge from both the natural and the social sciences. But this text takes a narrower definition. They first say that “environment... read more

Environmental Science is the study of human interaction with the natural world, and therefore incorporates knowledge from both the natural and the social sciences. But this text takes a narrower definition. They first say that “environment describes living and nonliving surroundings relevant to organisms” and then state that “Environmental science studies all aspects of the environment in an interdisciplinary way. This means that it requires the knowledge of various other subjects including biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, microbiology, biochemistry, geology, economics, law, sociology, etc.” While they do mention some aspect of social science in this definition, the book clearly focuses on the natural science aspects of environmental science. This is unfortunate, but it is not uncommon, and environmental science faculty are accustomed to having to bring additional social science readings into their classes. The text includes a very high-level table of contents. There are more detailed outlines within all but one chapter, adding one or two more levels of structure, and the inconsistency between chapters in this regard is quite obvious. The chapters are i. Introduction ii. Population Ecology iii. Human Demography iv. Non-Renewable Energy v. Alternative Energy vi. Air Pollution vii. Climate Change viii. Water

While all of the subjects included are relevant to environmental science, they represent only a subset of what would normally be considered in an environmental science textbook. Notably absent are chapters on topics such as waste, ozone depletion, risk assessment, agriculture, biodiversity, and oceans and the marine environment. There is no index, which is a real short-coming.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found no obvious errors or evidence of bias other than the rather unavoidable one that favors environmental protection over some aspects of industrial society.

The topics that are covered are still completely relevant, as are the examples used to illustrate them. Some of the figures and tables are somewhat dated and should be replaced with more current ones. For example, the most recent stratospheric ozone data shown are for 2012. Not showing more current values misses the opportunity to illustrate the positive benefit that accrues from international cooperation on science-based solutions to environmental challenges. Missing are zone-depletion area data between 2012 and 2020 which show very compelling evidence that the problem has stopped growing, likely due to this cooperative response.

The text is generally clear and explains terms used, though the depth and quality of these explanations vary from chapter to chapter. There is also variability in the level of science (such as chemistry) included in discussions of the issues.

There is fairly good consistency of terminology, but the framework varies considerably from chapter to chapter. The book suffers from a lack of integration editing. There is a notable inconsistency in the use of chapter outlines at the beginning of chapters. One chapter (Climate Change) has none, while the others have either one or two levels of depth. The latter also use inconsistent numbering schemes for their subdivisions.

Modularity rating: 3

In some chapters there are several pages that go by without any subheadings, making navigation challenging and creating daunting quantities of unbroken text apt to keep students from reading thoroughly. This makes the user interface to the text awkward at best, and is prone to presenting a barrier to students already intimidated by the subject matter, such as students taking the course out of a general education requirement rather than genuine interest in the subject.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

It is quite clear that the text was created by assembling chapters written by different authors without much effort put into integration or flow. Beyond the writing style differing in each chapter, one detects a difference in approach, and I have rarely found an example of one chapter referring to something discussed in a previous chapter. Strangely, the chapters each maintain their own page numbers, which is probably why the table of contents includes no page numbers. But the page numbers shown don’t include the chapter number, so a student looking at a “page 17” cannot easily be sure which chapter that is in. This will also make it awkward for faculty to refer students to particular sections easily. This could be eased by page numbers that include the chapter number, and/or by having chapter numbers and names at the top of each page. In at least one chapter (Climate Change) the order seems awkward – climate change is discussed fairly extensively before the science behind it is introduced, thus assuming the students bring some knowledge of the science to the discussion before the chapter addresses it.

No obvious errors were found in the placement of and reference to figures and tables. But in many chapters, there are large stretches of text without much relief either from illustrations or examples problems. For example, though the introductory chapter provides a cursory review of fundamental chemistry, these are not generally recalled in subsequent chapters to illustrate points made. Such illustrations would serve to break up the intensive reading and also to reinforce the science behind the claims made in the chapters. There is also a missed opportunity to provide hypertext links within the textbook. These would allow students confused by a term (for example) to link to a portion of the text in which that term is defined and illustrated. Similarly, when viewing the text in Adobe Reader I was not able to find a navigation approach other than previous or next pages or the use of the scroll bar. The only hyperlinks are from the table of contents, and there is no convenient way to go “back” to the TOC.

I have not found any outright grammatical errors, but there are occasions of questionable sentence structure and punctuation.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

No inappropriate language or claims that might offend a diverse readership were found. Some photographs include people from various cultures, though I have found no references to cultural differences as they might impact the environmental issues discussed. And there is no discussion whatsoever of the role of culture in environmental impacts and action. A crucial part of environmental science is the social context. While there are occasional oblique references to some social context issues, it is not addressed explicitly by this text.

This book would be substantially improved by 1. Addition of missing topics (issues, natural sciences, and social sciences) 2. Extensive editing to achieve consistency of structure and integration of content 3. Formatting to include global page numbers, a multilevel table of contents, an index, more subheadings, and hyperlinks between sections both within and between chapters

Reviewed by Emily Nocito, Graduate Student, University of Colorado Boulder on 6/11/20

I view this as an introduction to the introduction of environmental science. It provides some of the bare basics, but overall is lacking. Little attention is paid to land-use change, biodiversity of the environment, oceans, and many more. The... read more

I view this as an introduction to the introduction of environmental science. It provides some of the bare basics, but overall is lacking. Little attention is paid to land-use change, biodiversity of the environment, oceans, and many more. The topics that are covered still feel lackluster in what they actually delve in to. There was also little to no regard to policy, economy, or cultural aspects of the environment.

Content was accurate for the time it was published but could do with an overall update to stay relevant. Some links and sites provided are no longer in service, leading readers to a dead-end.

A cross to bear with any environmental studies textbook is that new information is constantly being produced. Some information is outdated, such as the age structure diagrams and the total carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels graphic. I do think that an update to this text is warranted. The section on the sustainability, the United Nations, and on the IPCC should also be updated.

For an introductory text, important technical terms are bolded and defined. However, it would be useful to have a glossary at the end of the book for quick reference by students

This textbook is lacking on consistency. Chapters are not structured the same way, such as with the chapter outlines. Page numbers are not kept consistent, with each chapter having its own set of page numbers. This would make it confusing to assign readings or ask questions, since there are- for example- several page 18s. Additionally, not all chapters have a terms list at the end, and some list resources, while some list bibliography at the end.

Headers are present, though not consistent chapter to chapter, with little references to itself. There is little indication of what chapter you are in, again made difficult by lack of consistent page numbering.

It would be nice to read chapters “Population Ecology” and “Human Demography” as the last chapters. That works more as a narrative: here are important basic earth systems (semi represented), types of energy, and then how humans interact with (good and bad interactions) the environment. To delve into questions of population and demography without introducing water and climate change gives an incomplete picture.

Some of the hyperlinks are dead or lead to error codes. Images and graphics, while outdated, are clear and concise.

This text contains no grammatical errors

This textbook could do with a chapter on traditional ecological knowledge, to highlight different culture’s interactions with the environment. It would also be nice to highlight environmental scientists from diverse backgrounds to allow students to ‘see themselves’ within the text.

Reviewed by Anita Walz, Associate Professor, Marshall University on 4/17/20

Only a limited number of the subjects that are part of environmental science are covered. The chapters focus mostly on energy production and resulting effect on the climate. Missing are for example agriculture, environmental toxicology, waste... read more

Only a limited number of the subjects that are part of environmental science are covered. The chapters focus mostly on energy production and resulting effect on the climate. Missing are for example agriculture, environmental toxicology, waste management, biodiversity, and conservation. Also, the chapter on Human Demography could have more focus on the relationship between societal development and consumption, carrying capacity (including cultural carrying capacity due to consumption), and population growth. The table of contents is hyperlinked, but this is not obvious. Each chapter re-starts on page 1 and it would help to have a table of content there that either lists the page number or hyperlinks to the sub-section. A glossary would also be helpful. I find it a bit difficult to navigate without scanning up and down all the pages to find what I am looking for.

I did not find any problems with accuracy or bias.

It is inherent in the subject matter that contents will not age well. Environmental charts and statistics change annually. Many facts in this book will age well, but charts that show trends are not all as up-to-date as one would expect from a 2018 edition. In the last chapter on water for example the charts stop in 2005 or 2010. The message still comes across though. It would be mostly these trend charts and the accompanying text that would need regular maintenance.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in a clear language and the terminology is introduced (highlighted in bold) and explained well.

Most chapters start out with an outline. However, there are no hyperlinks to sub-sections and only three chapters have page numbers included in the outline. The outline is missing in Chapters1 and 7. These two chapters seem less well organized than the others. Having a consistent table of contents, maybe even hyperlinked on the first page of each chapter would be helpful. It would represent the outline and a guide to the proper page.

There are many sub-headers that split the text into smaller portions, maybe even too many to tie the topics together and allow the message to flow. A table of content with either page numbers or hyperlinks would help with navigation.

Within a chapter the order of sub-topics makes sense.

There is no aid to navigation other than hyperlinks back to the Table of Contents for the whole book and this link is only on the first page of each chapter. Images often have text that is significantly smaller than the main text of the book. They also appear to look "fuzzy", even when one zooms in.

I did not find any errors.

This book reports mostly dry scientific facts and does not go into cultural issues. Social injustice is not touched on, but again, this book covers only some topics in environmental science.

For a free introductory environmental science source, it works well in combination with other sources and I found that commercial books are often no more up-to-date than this book. If students do not have to pay for their books I do not feel bad about selecting only some chapters from one source and then switching to another. So the fact that this book does not cover environmental science comprehensively is not as big of an issue as it would be if students had to buy it. I selected some chapters from this book for a part of my course but found other alternate sources to cover other topics.

Reviewed by Sarah Surber, Assistant Professor, Marshall University on 2/18/20

The book covers a large section of environmental science, which is helpful for an introductory course. However, the topics are not covered in-depth enough to convey the information. There is no glossary, although key words are provided in bold in... read more

The book covers a large section of environmental science, which is helpful for an introductory course. However, the topics are not covered in-depth enough to convey the information. There is no glossary, although key words are provided in bold in the text. Key words are provided at the end of each chapter without definitions. I found many of the diagrams to be much more informative than the actual text, which was helpful.

The book's information is accurate, although it uses a superficial approach to a large number of topics.

Much of the data is already several years old.

The book was clear, but overly basic for a college-level course. Most of the defined terms were too basic.

The book is consistent in how it presents the material, the keywords, and the use of photos, diagrams, and charts.

For a basic overview of various issues, the book is modular enough to assign sections of chapters. However, the lack of page numbering makes it difficult, unless the instructor cuts the sections or explains to use the pdf numbering.

The book adequately covered the breadth of the very basics of environmental science in a coherent manner.

Not all of the pages are numbered. There isn't a link from the table of contents to each subsection, which would help since the page numbering is inconsistent.

No grammatical issues.

I didn't find any issues of cultural relevance, although it focused on environmental issues in the United States more than international issues or contributions to environmental pollution. However, there were international issues and photos used for some examples.

I have used sections of this book to give an overview of certain topics. However, I wouldn't rely on it as the sole textbook at a college level, even an introductory course.

Reviewed by Shamim Ahsan, Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 5/20/19

Too compact with content. does not cover various important environment related issues. Content should compatible to other text book in the market place. one of major element soil was completely ignored. Scientific steps could elaborate to peer... read more

Too compact with content. does not cover various important environment related issues. Content should compatible to other text book in the market place. one of major element soil was completely ignored. Scientific steps could elaborate to peer reviewing process. In population dynamics impacts were not properly reflected. Biodiversity is not covered at all. Water is an important issue, and authors may consider breaking up in two sections: waster resources and Water pollution.

In general accuracy of data and information OK. However, some data's are decade old needs updating of those.

Content is more or less up to date. However, several part of the content needs immediate up-gradation with current status. Environment is dynamic science and issues are being updated on regular basis.

Narratives are often complicated on different issues. Such as in energy section figure 5.4: may confuse students on solar energy. For freshman level class the content should presented in lucid form and easily understandable.

Its consistent within framework of the text book.

The inter-related connection of content should be maintained with lesser numbers of subheading. Realigned with piece meal sub units.

Population dynamics and it impact may be listed at the end of table of content.

As mentioned before some images are confusing and do not illustrate relevancy. For example, IPAT equation after sustainability looks misplaced.

Did not notice any errors.

Without presenting environmental justice, it could be an issue.

I am not quite if this text book provides comprehensive information in major aspects of environmental issues. Lot of issues are not covered in this text book as opposed to other books in market place. This would a disservice to students who use OER sources for not having complete knowledge,

Reviewed by Leslie Straker, Senior Lecturer, Longwood University on 4/11/19

The textbook did not provide any glossary or index. It however, provided a list of key terms at the end of every chapter that were often defined in the chapters themselves. A good introductory environmental textbook should address environmental... read more

The textbook did not provide any glossary or index. It however, provided a list of key terms at the end of every chapter that were often defined in the chapters themselves. A good introductory environmental textbook should address environmental science from the biological, social and economic dimensions. This textbook mostly focuses on the biological and physical dimensions of environmental science and inadequately addresses the social and economic dimensions. Some of the areas that were left out include: history of environmental science, saltwater resources, forestry and land management, waste management and conservation.

In general, the materials presented are accurate but a number of graphs, tables and figures, were not properly referenced. Some of the materials are a little dated so there is room for improvement here. In addition, at least one of the links provided for further reference at the end of Chapter 8, was not working.

What is covered in the book is relevant to an introductory course in environmental science. In the earlier chapters the book focuses on fundamental concepts in physical science and later it addresses the fundamental concepts of air pollution and climate change. However, the book fell short of what I often call “closing the loop.” That is, linking the science with the economics and social issues of environmental science. Notwithstanding, by focusing on a fundamental concepts approach, the book should be able to provide useful information to its general readers for a long time.

The technical language used in the book is clear and appropriate for an introductory course in environmental science. Notwithstanding, a glossary of key technical terms could assist in making the book more user friendly.

There were significant inconsistencies throughout the textbook. While I understand, that the numbering system of each chapter increases the modularity of the textbook, this system was often confusing since there was no header or footer on individual pages to let you know which chapter you were reading at any particular time. Also, chapters were also structured differently. There were inconsistencies with the list of objectives and acknowledgements for example, from chapter to chapter.

The book is broken down into sections that would easily allow for additions and updates to the information covered. The page numbering is restarted in every chapter. Notwithstanding, it could be helpful if a header or footer is placed on each page indicating the name of the chapter. This will allow the reader to be more aware of his location in the textbook at any one time.

The textbook is sufficiently organized for the various topics it covers. However, a more comprehensive textbook will also cover the major resources of the world after the section on climate change. Also, renewable and non-renewable resources should probably be placed after the climate change section.

Navigating through the book is not particularly difficult except that a header or footer making chapters could help with ease of navigation since all chapters restart with a new numbering system. There was no distortion of images or charts in this book.

No grammatical errors were found in the book and the technical language used was appropriate for a book at this level.

Because of the books focus on the biological and physiological aspects of environmental science the diversity of cultural examples is limited. Including the cultural, and economic aspects of environmental science would have allowed for a greater diversity of examples from around the world and the incorporation of different disciplines.

My most significant issue with this textbook is its lack of comprehensiveness. When I teach my introductory course in environmental science, I remind my students that environmental science/environmental management is much about how people use scarce resources. Unfortunately, this textbook hardly touches on many of the resource challenges of the world. Even if I were to use this book, I will also have to use a supplementary textbook that covers some of the key dimensions of environmental science that are not in this book.

Reviewed by Irene Hawkins, Adjunct Professor, Gettysburg College on 3/9/19

The book touched on many of the topics in Environmental Science, but some of them were very superficial. For example, there is little on the topic of environmental health and toxicity, other than a quick discussion of the Precautionary Principle.... read more

The book touched on many of the topics in Environmental Science, but some of them were very superficial. For example, there is little on the topic of environmental health and toxicity, other than a quick discussion of the Precautionary Principle. There is little on the environmental aspects of modern agriculture. This seems to cover some of the environmental science topics, but shallowly and incompletely.

What is in there is accurate from information a decade or more ago. Many of the graphs and figures and data are from more than ten years ago, and in a quickly progressing area of study, this seems like an easy update that has not been made. For example, there are pictures of glacial melt from the McCall Glacier from 1958 to 2003 - why not an update within the last 16 years?

What is there is good - but probably needs to be updated and improved upon. Many of the images/data are not up to date - even with the most recent IPCC report, so it seems like an easy update to get the data more relevant.

It is clear - but boring. Compared with other texts that help the non-major reader engage with the environmental science and help connect the issues to their lives, this book is dry. More case studies and stories that students can relate to to help understand the material would be helpful.

It is consistent - but a bit unremarkable. Why are there new page numbers for each chapter? It is very dry and clinical in the reporting of information, but is not engaging to want the reader to keep exploring these issues.

There are a lack of graphs and data and images to help the reader connect with the fairly lengthy, dry reading sections. The topic of Environmental Science easily leads to connections between the reader and the subject, regardless of their chosen interests - but this text does not encourage engagement.

It is organized. It is based heavily on chemistry and the molecular makeup of the environment right from the beginning, which can cause readers to be turned-off to the material before they have a chance to engage with the topics.

Other than starting each chapter with new page number counts, it is fine.

The grammar was fine. Again, it was dry and clinical, but grammatically correct.

It was politically-correctly written. There were examples from around the world - but primarily centered around the US/Global North. More examples and case studies from other regions of the world would help on many levels - global perspective, interest, etc.

I love the idea of Open Resource texts - however, this is not up to par with an introductory Environmental Science college level course, unless it is HIGHLY supplemented with outside material. Keep improving and more will use it!

Reviewed by Rutherford Platt, Professor, Gettysburg College on 3/1/19

The book has many standard topics in Environmental Science, but is missing or gives cursory attention to agriculture, biodiversity, and conservation. Also, the book includes only cursory discussion of human livelihoods across the word, which are... read more

The book has many standard topics in Environmental Science, but is missing or gives cursory attention to agriculture, biodiversity, and conservation. Also, the book includes only cursory discussion of human livelihoods across the word, which are inexorably tied to environmental change.

The book doesn't do justice to the 'big debates' in environmental science and presents many topics superficially.

The book takes a neural, unbiased tone and is largely accurate.

This book could have been written 20 years ago, and does not include the latest science and thinking on these topics. Many figures are a little old - for example figure 7.12 shows data from 2007. Updates would be fairly easy.

The text is accessible but incredibly dry and overly laden with terminology.

Yes, it is consistent. Consistently mediocre.

The book is overly modular. The authors lose opportunities to connect to concepts presented earlier in the text. For example, why doesn't the population chapter tie back to I = P A T? Environmental science is integrated - you can't just have chapters that are designed to stand entirely alone.

There is no particular logic or flow to the topics. Each chapter pretty much stands alone.

Some of the figures are low quality -- especially the human population chapter.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

The grammar is fine but again the text is incredibly dry.

The book has very few examples at all, so there is little possibility for offense. I rated this poorly because the should discuss culture and how it intersects with the environment.

1. The book is too short and superficial for a college level course. 2. Except for a cursory description of the scientific method, the book does not convey what do scientists do, how do they operate. 3. The book misses the opportunity to present environmental issues in a compelling, relevant way to students. It begins with the narrowest, driest material (Chemical & Biological Foundations of life). Relevance for sustainability/conservation is only superficially presented. 4. There are few fully developed case studies or real-world applications. 5. Problem solving & understanding complex problems not part of this book. From what I can tell, the book's approach is to define a bunch of concepts.

Reviewed by Simeng Li, Instructor, Florida State University on 11/5/18

As a book that introduces Environment Science to readers that have little prior knowledge in this subject, this book has successfully covered most important areas of Environment Science, including some core concepts and definitions in this... read more

As a book that introduces Environment Science to readers that have little prior knowledge in this subject, this book has successfully covered most important areas of Environment Science, including some core concepts and definitions in this subject, population ecology, human demography, non-renewable energy, alternative energy, air pollution, climate change, and water. The selected topics in this book are able to provide a rough idea of what Environmental Science is mainly about. However, some important areas have not been mentioned or comprehensively discussed. For example, this book has discussed air and water pollution, but soil pollution has not been mentioned. Also, sustainability is a very critical area of Environmental Science. This book has briefly discussed this topic in the Introduction chapter but did extend relevant discussion. I suggest that the authors add a chapter focusing on sustainability, including its social, economic and environment aspects. In addition to comprehensiveness, this book is also weak in its overall depth of discussion. Most of the contents are not really thought-provoking, which is good as a pop science reading material whose readers who are simply interested in Environmental Science. However, this book may need more in-depth contents to meet probably most teachers' expectation as a university-level textbook. What I like about this book is that each chapter has clearly stated out its objectives at its beginning, as well as the questions at the end of each chapter (except Chapter viii. Water). But again, the questions can be a little more challenging for university students.

Overall speaking, the chapters in this book have been well written. It is not easy to write introductory texts that are rigorous and technically sound yet accessible to general readers. The book is accurate overall, but some paragraphs and concepts would benefit from a more rigorous and technical coverage in addition to the general introduction of the concepts provided. Only a few chapters have acknowledged their references, but most chapters did not do so. For example, appropriate citations are missing throughout Chapter i. Introduction. However, even in those chapters that have provided a list of references, the references are not linked to the contents in this book.

The contents that are presented in this book are closely relevant to the subject of Environmental Science. Because most of the contents are fundamental sciences, the book should be able to provide useful information to its general readers unless there are significant game-changing breakthroughs in the covered areas. However, some chapters that should have up-to-date information have not use the most recent references. For example, Chapter v. Alternative Energy should have shown more modern technologies for renewable energy. As a book that is written in 2018, such contents will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time.

The book has clearly explained jargons / technological terminologies using accessible yet technical languages. I believe that any high school students can easily learn something about Environment Science with this book. However, the downside is that this book has not provided in-depth information to allow its readers to fully understand some complex concepts.

Consistency rating: 1

The style of writing was not consistent throughout the book. Each chapter has its own page numbers. Structures in different chapters are also different sometimes. For example, some chapters have a list of objectives while some others do not; some chapters have acknowledge the references while some others do not; some chapters use "resources" for the list of references while some others use "bibliographies" for the same. With these inconsistencies, this book seems like a collection of review articles from different authors. To solve this problem, this book need professional editing to improve its consistency.

Overall, the text is easily and readily divided into small reading sections with clear titles. But it seems like the Introduction section is broken down into too many small sections that have ambiguous inherent links.

The overall organization is good but can be improved. The places of some sections can be rearranged. For example, Chapter viii. can be placed right after Chapter vi. because both air and water are essential aspects of the environment. Climate Change (Chapter vii) can be placed after the two chapters about energy, because the use fossil energy is one main reason for climate change.

The interface is pleasant and professional, except that the resolution of some images can be improved.

No major grammatical/stylistic errors were found, although minor mistakes may exist.

This book is not culturally sensitive or offensive.

Conclusively, this book can serve as a good introductory reading material for self-teaching readers, but many aspects of this book must be improved before it can be used as an Environmental Science textbook in universities and colleges.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Population Ecology
• Chapter 3: Human Demography
• Chapter 4: Non-Renewable Energy
• Chapter 5: Alternative Energy
• Chapter 6: Air Pollution
• Chapter 7: Climate Change
• Chapter 8: Water

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This course uses the basic principles of biology and earth science as a context for understanding environmental policies and resource management practices. Our planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, from oil spills to global climate change. In ENSC 1000, you will learn about the science behind these problems; preparing you to make an informed, invaluable contribution to Earth's future. I hope that each of you is engaged by the material presented and participates fully in the search for, acquisition of, and sharing of information within our class.

About the Contributors

Caralyn Zehnder , Georgia College and State University

Kalina Manoylov , Georgia College and State University

Samuel Mutiti , Georgia College and State University

Christine Mutiti , Georgia College and State University

Allison VandeVoort , Georgia College and State University

Donna Bennett , Georgia College and State University

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The research component of the Environmental Studies Program embodies an active learning model that bridges a sustainability curriculum in the classroom with sustainability action on campus and in the community.

Hands-On Learning About Sustainability

The research requirement allows students to get hands-on experience identifying sustainability issues, evaluating their impacts, problem solving for more sustainable solutions, and implementing strategies to improve sustainability outcomes in the long term.

Applying Knowledge to Problems

Students apply knowledge they have learned in the classroom during their time at Boston College to existing problems in their communities, developing real-world skills to address a broad range of sustainability issues. By interfacing with communities directly, students expand their knowledge and perspective on what it means to cultivate a rewarding life as citizens of the planet.

This process also enables students to develop a deeper understanding of the complex political, scientific, and cultural intersections within environmental issues, and challenges them to think creatively about paths to sustainable solutions.

Practical Experience 

The hands-on nature of the research requirement prepares our students for the types of challenges they will face as they begin environmentally-oriented graduate programs, and/or commence careers in business, education, law, policy, planning, government, or research.

Research Projects

Each year, Boston College seniors in the Environmental Studies program complete a research project on a subject of their choosing. Minors conduct their research in the Environmental Seminar, while majors participate in a year-long Senior Research Seminar or conduct an independent Senior Thesis.

Research Topics

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180 Environmental Research Topics & Questions to Write about

Environment affects us all, whether we want it or not. Political leaders and students alike discuss ways to tackle environmental topics & issues. Some might argue about the role humans play in all this. The fact remains that our environment is a delicate matter. That’s why we must educate ourselves on the issues related to it.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

In this article by custom writing experts, you’ll find a list of environmental research questions to scrutinize and write about. The environmental essay topics in the collection below are related to economics, health, sociology, law, and even psychology. These ideas might be helpful either for school or for college students.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 🌡️🌍 Climate Change Topics
• 🏭🌱 Sustainability
• 🔬🌻 Environmental Science
• 🌳⚖️ Environmental Law
• 🧑🌿 Environmentalism

🔬 Top 10 Environmental Research Topics

• 📖 Environmental Research Questions

🔝 Top 10 Environment Essay Topics

• The life cycle of tornados
• History of environmental studies
• Positive impact of birdwatching
• Drinking water and the environment
• Christianity’s impact on the climate crisis
• Climate’s effect on mountain ecosystems
• How aviation contributes to global warming
• Early commercial adaptation of thermal energy
• What does nuclear meteorology investigate?
• Fruitarianism’s benefits for the environment

🌡️🌍 Environmental Research Topics on Climate Change

Throughout history, the Earth’s climate always fluctuated. Ice ages were followed by warmer periods. However, the increase in temperature we perceive today is unusual. Because of this, climate change is one of today’s most pressing problems. Below we have compiled a list of 25 global warming topics. Have a look!

• What is the difference between climate change and global warming?
• Investigate how humans influence the climate.
• Which regions suffer the most due to the rising sea levels?
• How did the average weather in your region change over the past 20 years?
• Why are coral reefs endangered?
• How do melting glaciers impact the environment?
• Examine what natural disasters are linked to climate change.
• What does ocean acidification mean?
• What are the effects of global warming?
• Analyze the phenomenon of climate refugees.
• How does global warming affect biodiversity?
• Discuss the most significant causes of climate change.
• Why are hurricanes becoming more intense?

• What are the most significant agricultural problems caused by climate change?
• How does the excess of CO2 impact the environment?
• What actions lead to a CO2 increase in the atmosphere?
• Discuss how hydraulic fracturing affects nature.
• Explain how the greenhouse effect works.
• What can each of us do to stop global warming?
• How is ozone depletion related to climate change?
• What was the purpose of the Paris Agreement?
• Investigate how deforestation affects the climate.
• Can we reverse global warming?
• Examine why some people don’t believe in climate change.
• What is the correlation between tree planting and climate change?

🌲 Environmental Research Topics on Ecology

Ecology is a branch of biology that investigates how organisms coexist. The environment shapes the way different species interact with each other. Essential factors can be living, such as nutrition, or nonliving, like water. Here are 25 prompts for your ecology essay:

• Examine the ecological research methods.
• What defines the number of organisms living in a community?
• How does an ecosystem work?
• Why do plants and animals go extinct?
• Do non-native snakes threaten the U.S. ecosystem?
• Explain the elements of population growth.
• What would the world look like without bees?
• How do organisms adapt to their environment?
• Analyze how photosynthesis occurs.
• What different relationships can organisms form with their surroundings?
• Discuss the research methods of bird behavioral ecology.
• How do organisms survive under extreme conditions?
• Why do some birds migrate?

• Investigate why some animals benefit from living alone.
• What can humans do to prevent pandas from extinction?
• How do plants help combat climate change?
• What’s the correlation between water management and ecology issues?
• How does commercial fishing affect the oceans?
• What are the most prominent current environmental threats?
• How does the ecological footprint method work?
• What are the long-term consequences of plastic use?
• Analyze how nutrient cycles work.
• What impact does human waste have on marine ecosystems?
• Examine the different types of healthy bacteria.
• How do cacti grow in the desert?

🏭🌱 Sustainability Topics for an Essay

According to the UN World Commission , sustainable development “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Simply put, sustainability means fulfilling the demand without exhausting any resources. Today, it plays a vital role in protecting the environment.

• Give an example of sustainable practice.
• Analyze the process of recycling.
• Investigate what sustainability wants to achieve.
• Explore the history of the green movement.
• What can a country do to become greener?
• Why do we need the concept of sustainable development?
• Examine the ways of recycling water.
• How can you make food sources more sustainable?
• What does zero-waste mean?
• Talk about the issues related to eco-friendly packaging.
• Discuss ways of saving more energy.
• What are the greener alternatives to plastic?
• Examine the different sources of renewable energy.
• How can a person live more sustainably?
• Explain the three pillars of sustainability.

• How does green construction work?
• What’s the connection between sustainability and climate change?
• What can we do to reduce water pollution?
• Discuss the impact of globalization on sustainable agriculture.
• What is responsible consumption?
• Why should we not use plastic?
• Describe how wind turbines produce electricity.
• How can technology become green?
• What is social sustainability?
• What are the most critical sustainability issues today?

🔬🌻 Environmental Science Topics for an Essay

Environmental science combines various approaches to study nature. In doing so, it tries to find solutions for ecological issues. Research goes into areas such as pollution and alternative energy. If you want to write about it, have a look at our topics:

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• What are the environmental impacts of production and consumption?
• Examine ways of improving agriculture.
• What are the critical elements of environmental science?
• Discuss the advantages of green engineering.
• What are the different types of pollution?
• Determine the primary goals of environmental science.
• What are invasive species?
• Investigate the benefits of reforestation.
• Describe the Amazon rainforest and its role in the environment.
• Explore the various types of agriculture.
• Discuss the pros and cons of GMOs.
• What effects does a biodiversity loss have on humanity?
• How do dams and channels affect ecosystems?
• What is the connection between social and environmental sciences?
• Why is overpopulation a problem?
• Explain the process of desertification.
• How does mining cause environmental disasters?
• Investigate the Gaia Hypothesis.
• What are the causes of acid rain?
• How is our health affected by pollution?

• Explain the importance of energy efficiency.
• Explore the link between globalization and ecological problems.
• Why are fossil fuels harmful to the environment?
• What are ecological niches?
• Analyze the pros and cons of nuclear energy.

🌳⚖️ Environmental Law Topics for Papers

Environmental law aims to protect nature. It’s the legal foundation of human interaction with their surroundings. Besides, it formulates how we should utilize natural resources. Take a look at these compelling topics for your paper:

• How is waste regulated in your community?
• What laws address contaminant cleanup?
• Why do we need chemical safety regulations?
• Examine legal ways to curb hunting and fishing.
• Describe environmental protection in the US and in the Hawaii state.
• Discuss the Rio Declaration.
• Why can environmental laws be controversial?
• What are the advantages of emission certificates?
• Investigate the process of emissions trading.
• How does your country regulate air quality?
• What makes the laws concerning water quality vital?
• What are the general principles of environmental law?
• When can a piece of land be declared a natural reserve?
• Should there be a binding international environmental constitution?
• Explore the history of environmental law.
• What purposes do wildlife reserves serve?
• Discuss the legacy of Kyoto Protocol.
• Analyze the marine pollution prevention efforts in Australia.
• What are environmental assessment mandates?
• Investigate economic incentives for environmental protection.
• Discuss why ecotourism needs to be regulated.
• Why is it difficult for some countries to become green?
• Establish a connection between free trade agreements and ecological problems.
• Do businesses have to incorporate environmental law?
• Compare several international agreements on ecological issues.

🧑🌿 Environmentalism Topics to Write About

Movements aiming to protect nature are at the core of environmentalism. The idea first gained traction in the 1960s. Notable organizations include PETA and Greenpeace. If you’re interested in environmentalism, consult this topics list:

• Investigate the history of environmentalism.
• Discuss the negative impacts of urban sprawl.
• What is Earth Day?

• Describe the key concepts of environmentalism.
• What are the different types of green movements?
• Compare the goals of various NGOs.
• What does the WWF do?
• Describe the main achievements of nature activists.
• Explain what apocalyptic environmentalism is.
• Who is Greta Thunberg?
• Discuss the impact of the Fridays for Future movement.
• Explain emancipatory environmentalism.
• Investigate the Animal Liberation Front.
• Analyze the central concerns of ecofeminism.
• Why are environmental movements important?
• Who was John Muir?
• Explain what ecoterrorism is.
• Does going green equal saving the environment?
• Who were the first nature activists?
• Discuss the influence of green political parties.
• What is environmental justice?
• Explain how civic environmentalism works.
• Are the actions of Greenpeace always justified?
• What are some examples of good nature activism tactics?
• Analyze the effect environmentalist movements have on politics.
• Types of marine pollution
• Concepts of ecofeminism
• Causes of grassland degradation
• Advantages of hydroelectricity
• Organic farming support in the US
• Energy conservation in the US
• What does photochemical smog depend on?
• Seasonal behavior of urban heat island
• Nuclear and radiation accident categories
• Can baffle spray scrubbers control pollution?

📖 Top 10 Environmental Research Questions

• What are the causes and effects of air pollution?
• What are the most dangerous effects of climate change?
• What are the most severe diseases caused by water pollution?
• Is global warming real?
• How does deforestation affect people and animals?
• Do carbon offset programs work?
• How to prevent and control soil pollution?
• How does plastic pollution affect marine life?
• What are the most threatened biodiversity hotspots?
• What should we do about overpopulation?

We hope this article helped you decide what your paper will be about. If the topic you’ve chosen is still not perfect, feel free to customize it! Good luck, and have fun with your essay.

You might also be interested in:

• A List of 212 Brilliant Research Proposal Topics to Investigate
• 220 Interesting Biology Topics for Essays & Research Papers
• A List of 220 Physics Topics & Questions to Research
• 300 Interesting Chemistry Topics & Writing Tips
• 281 Best Health & Medical Research Topics

🔍 References

• Environmental Issues Guide: Giving Compass
• Climate Change: National Geographic
• Climate Change and Global Warming: NASA
• What Is Ecology?: Khan Academy
• Ecology: Encyclopedia Britannica
• What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?: Environmental Science
• Environmentalism: Learning to Give
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Top 151+ EVS Project Topics for College Students

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, Environmental Studies (EVS) projects stand as vital pillars in college curriculums. They serve as more than mere academic requirements; they are a gateway to nurturing ecological awareness and fostering problem-solving skills among students.

Yet, in this journey of academic exploration, the pivotal step is selecting the right project topic. It’s an endeavor that can be both exciting and daunting. That’s where we come in. In this comprehensive guide, we’ve curated a rich tapestry of 151+ EVS project topics for college students. These topics transcend the mundane and dive into various facets of our environment, offering students an opportunity not just to excel academically but to also become stewards of our planet.

Embark on this journey, choose a topic close to your heart, and let your academic pursuits blend harmoniously with a profound impact on our world.

Table of Contents

What is EVS Project Topic?

An EVS (Environmental Studies) project topic refers to a specific subject or theme within the field of environmental studies that students choose to investigate, analyze, and present as part of their academic coursework. These topics encompass a wide range of environmental issues, such as biodiversity conservation, pollution control, climate change mitigation, natural resource management, and environmental education. 

EVS project topics aim to deepen students’ understanding of environmental challenges and encourage them to propose solutions or raise awareness about these issues. These projects play a crucial role in instilling environmental awareness, problem-solving skills, and a sense of responsibility among students, making them more informed and proactive global citizens.

Benefits of Using EVS Project Topics for College Students

Using EVS project topics for college students offers a multitude of benefits:

• Environmental Awareness: EVS projects foster a deeper understanding of environmental issues, creating environmentally conscious citizens.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Students learn to analyze complex problems and propose practical solutions, a crucial skill in various career paths.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: These projects integrate knowledge from diverse fields, encouraging a holistic approach to problem-solving.
• Community Engagement: Many EVS projects involve the local community, promoting a sense of responsibility and community involvement.
• Research and Analytical Skills: Students develop strong research and data analysis skills, valuable in both academia and professional life.
• Real-World Impact: EVS projects often lead to tangible environmental improvements, giving students a sense of accomplishment.
• Career Opportunities: Understanding environmental issues can open doors to careers in environmental science, policy, and advocacy.
• Global Citizenship: EVS projects instill a sense of global citizenship and a commitment to sustainable practices.
• Personal Growth: Students gain confidence, communication skills, and leadership abilities through project work.
• Contributing to Sustainability: By working on EVS projects, students directly contribute to environmental sustainability and the greater good.

Also Read: Top 10 MBA Finance Project Topics

List of EVS Project Topics for College Students

Here is a list of Best EVS project topics for college students:

Biodiversity and Conservation

• Impact of climate change on biodiversity.
• Conservation strategies for endangered species.
• Biodiversity in urban environments.
• Invasive species and their effects on local ecosystems.
• The role of national parks in preserving biodiversity.
• Ecotourism and its impact on local biodiversity.
• Indigenous knowledge and practices in biodiversity conservation.
• Benefits of botanical gardens in preserving plant diversity.
• Marine biodiversity and coral reef conservation.
• Wildlife trafficking and its consequences on biodiversity.
• Conservation efforts for keystone species.
• The importance of pollinators in ecosystem health.
• Reintroduction of species into their native habitats.
• Conservation success stories and lessons learned.

Climate Change and Mitigation

• The science of climate change and its causes.
• Renewable energy sources and their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Climate policies and their effectiveness.
• The impact of deforestation on climate change.
• Carbon footprint analysis of various industries.
• Alternative transportation methods and their environmental benefits.
• Climate-resilient agriculture practices.
• Geoengineering and its potential risks.
• Carbon offset programs and their efficacy.
• Climate change and its effects on ocean ecosystems.
• The role of international agreements (e.g., Paris Agreement) in addressing climate change.
• Green building practices and their impact on energy consumption.
• Public awareness and education on climate change.
• Local community initiatives to combat climate change.

Pollution and Environmental Health

• Air pollution sources and their impact on public health.
• Water pollution in urban and rural areas.
• Soil contamination and its consequences.
• Noise pollution in urban environments.
• E-waste management and recycling.
• Hazardous waste disposal practices and regulations.
• Effects of pollution on aquatic ecosystems.
• Indoor air quality and its impact on human health.
• Chemical pesticides in agriculture and their health effects.
• Waste reduction and recycling programs.
• Health implications of plastic pollution.
• Environmental justice and pollution disparities.
• Emerging pollutants and their monitoring.
• Strategies for reducing exposure to environmental pollutants.

Renewable Energy and Sustainability

• Solar energy technology and its applications.
• Wind energy and its potential in different regions.
• Biomass energy production and its sustainability.
• Hydropower and its impact on local ecosystems.
• Geothermal energy sources and utilization.
• Sustainable transportation options.
• Energy-efficient technologies in residential buildings.
• Green cities and sustainable urban planning.
• Sustainable agriculture practices.
• Eco-friendly materials and their applications.
• Circular economy and waste reduction.
• Green business practices and corporate sustainability.
• Sustainable fashion and its environmental impact.
• Sustainable food production and consumption.

Environmental Education and Awareness

• Environmental education in primary and secondary schools.
• The role of the media in raising environmental awareness.
• Community-based environmental education programs.
• Eco-friendly practices in daily life.
• Public perception of climate change and environmental issues.
• Environmental documentaries and their impact.
• Art and literature as tools for environmental awareness.
• Role of NGOs and advocacy groups in raising awareness.
• Environmental education through social media.
• Environmental ethics and values.
• Environmental education in indigenous communities.
• Eco-tourism and education.
• The impact of youth engagement in environmental causes.
• Measuring the effectiveness of environmental education programs.

Water Resources and Management

• Water scarcity and its regional variations.
• The impact of urbanization on local water sources.
• Sustainable water management in agriculture.
• Water quality testing and monitoring.
• Groundwater depletion and its consequences.
• River restoration and its benefits.
• Desalination and its role in water supply.
• Dams and their environmental effects.
• Water conservation practices in households.
• Wetland conservation and restoration.
• Indigenous water management practices.
• Watershed management and protection.
• Water conflicts and their resolution.
• The role of technology in water resource management.

Waste Management and Recycling

• Municipal solid waste management strategies.
• Recycling programs and their impact on reducing waste.
• Composting and its role in organic waste reduction.
• Electronic waste recycling and its challenges.
• Plastic waste reduction initiatives.
• Industrial waste management practices.
• Zero-waste communities and their success stories.
• Waste-to-energy technologies and their efficiency.
• Hazardous waste disposal and regulation.
• Green packaging and its environmental benefits.
• The circular economy and waste reduction.
• Recycling incentives and their effectiveness.
• Innovative approaches to waste reduction.
• Sustainable construction and demolition waste management.

Ecosystems and Ecological Studies

• Wetland ecosystems and their ecological importance.
• Forest ecosystems and their role in carbon sequestration.
• Coral reef ecosystems and their conservation.
• Grassland ecosystems and their biodiversity.
• Desert ecosystems and their adaptations.
• Tundra ecosystems and climate change impacts.
• Mangrove ecosystems and coastal protection.
• Urban ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Freshwater ecosystems and pollution.
• Mountain ecosystems and climate change.
• Ecological restoration and its challenges.
• Food webs and trophic dynamics.
• Microbial ecology in various environments.
• Ecological modeling and conservation planning.

Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning

• Public transportation systems and sustainability.
• Bike-friendly cities and their benefits.
• Electric vehicles and their environmental impact.
• Sustainable urban planning and green spaces.
• Smart cities and their environmental innovations.
• Sustainable commuting options for cities.
• Traffic congestion and its environmental effects.
• Transit-oriented development and its role in urban planning.
• Walkable cities and their impact on public health.
• Green infrastructure in urban areas.
• Sustainable building materials in construction.
• Energy-efficient lighting in urban areas.
• Noise pollution reduction in cities.
• Urban farming and its sustainability in cities.

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Transportation

Environmental policy and legislation.

• The role of government agencies in environmental protection.
• International agreements on environmental issues.
• Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and their importance.
• Environmental regulations and their enforcement.
• The history of environmental policy in your country.
• Lobbying and advocacy for environmental causes.
• The economics of environmental policy.
• The effectiveness of carbon pricing mechanisms.
• Public participation in environmental decision-making.
• Environmental justice and its role in policy development.
• Case studies of successful environmental policies.
• The politics of climate change mitigation.
• The impact of COVID-19 on environmental policies.
• Environmental policy and its influence on corporate responsibility.
• I hope these project topics help you in your college studies. If you need more information or have any other questions, feel free to ask!

How do I select the best EVS project topic?

Selecting the best EVS project topics for college students can be a rewarding process. Here are some easy steps to guide you:

1. Identify Your Passion: Start by considering what aspects of the environment truly interest you. Your passion will keep you motivated throughout the project.

2. Research Widely: Explore a variety of environmental topics. Read books, articles, and watch documentaries to gain a broader perspective.

3. Consider Relevance: Think about the relevance of your chosen topic to your coursework and career goals. It should align with your academic journey.

4. Feasibility: Ensure that the project is achievable within your resources, including time and access to data.

5. Consult Professors: Discuss your ideas with professors or advisors who can offer valuable insights and help you refine your topic.

6. Unique Angle: Try to approach the topic from a unique angle or propose innovative solutions. This can make your project stand out.

7. Passion Wins: In the end, choose a topic that genuinely excites you. Your enthusiasm will reflect in your work and make the project more enjoyable.

Selecting the right EVS project topics for college students is essential for your academic journey and for making a positive impact on the environment. These 151+ EVS project topics for college students cover a wide spectrum of environmental issues, from conservation to sustainability and awareness. By choosing a topic that resonates with your passion, you can contribute to the betterment of our planet while gaining valuable knowledge and skills.

1. Can I propose my own EVS project topic?

Absolutely! If you have a unique idea that aligns with your course requirements, discussing it with your professors is a great way to propose your own project.

2. Are these project topics suitable for undergraduate students?

Yes, these topics are designed to cater to college students, including undergraduates pursuing degrees in various disciplines.

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10 Easy Top Environmental Projects for Students

For students, college often means being pulled in different directions and having to multitask on top of an already heavy workload.

However, being environmentally conscious doesn’t mean you have to forget about what else you have going on in your life.

Sometimes all it takes is some time and effort to make even the smallest difference in the world around you, and the following 10 easy environmental projects for students will show you just how little work it takes to make your own impact on our planet.

The List of Environmental Projects for Students

• Recycle cardboard
• Reduce, Reuse, and Compost
• Help Build Habitats
• Put That Laptop Down
• Go Zero Waste
• Shop at thrift stores
• Collect rainwater
• Use e-books instead of print books
• Start a vegetable garden
• Create a butterfly garden or bird sanctuary

1) Recycle cardboard

This is one of the environmental projects for students you should consider. The research found that Cardboard is the most recycled material in North America, and recycling one tonne of it saves 17 trees, 7100 gallons of water, 4 cubic yards of landfill space, and enough energy to power a TV for 23 hours.

So recycle, collect your old cereal boxes or other paper goods and bring them to your local recycling center (find one near you here). You’ll help protect forests and save water while also making more room at the dump. It’s really that simple.

The next time you’re about to throw something away, try to think of ways you can reuse it first. If there isn’t anything else that can be done with an item, think about how much money it will cost if someone buys new instead of used. Chances are they would rather buy a cheaper used item t a new expensive one.

2) Reduce, Reuse, and Compost

Reduce, reuse, and compost is also one of the environmental projects for students you must consider. These three simple words are the key to reducing your carbon footprint. Let’s take a look at how these concepts can be applied in your daily life.

Reducing energy usage is important in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

You can do this by changing out light bulbs, turning off lights when they’re not needed, or opting for more energy-efficient appliances like a refrigerator or dishwasher. It might also be helpful to choose an electricity provider that offers renewable sources of power such as wind or solar power.

Once you’ve reduced your energy usage at home, it’s important to think about how you can reduce waste in your community. In addition to recycling, many communities now offer alternatives to single-use items like plastic bags, paper towels, and water bottles.

Check with your local government or local retailers to see if they have programs that encourage people to bring their own reusable containers or bags when shopping. It might also be helpful in reducing waste around your house by composting food scraps instead of throwing them into landfill.

3) Help Build Habitats

Help build habitats! Habitat is an international organization that creates and protects animals’ homes. Habitats are home to many different creatures, but they are always in need of help from humans. In 2008, Habitats asked volunteers from around the world to create 6,900 habitats in less than 24 hours.

Get involved by building habitats with your family and friends or by donating money to their cause. You will be making the world a better place for all living things.

 As habitats are constantly in need of repair and help, there will always be ways that you can get involved. Habitats do not even accept monetary donations from those who do not share their love of animals.

If you want to support habitat conservation, please join an existing habitat or start your own! With so many options available and a variety of ecosystems involved, you are sure to find something that interests you. No matter what choices you make though, remember that no contribution is too small. This is one of the easy environmental projects for students.

4) Put That Laptop Down

In a study conducted at the University of British Columbia, it was discovered that people who use laptops in bed have less melatonin production and higher levels of cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone. When cortisol builds up too much in the brain, it can affect sleep quality and lead to anxiety.

So why not try and limit your laptop usage when you’re winding down? There are plenty of other things you can do to relax before bed, such as reading an e-book on your phone or tablet, taking a bath, or getting some exercise. If you really need to use your laptop before sleeping (or during the day), try using blue light filters like flux, turn off your screensaver or put them on airplane mode.

5) Go Zero Waste

The simplest way is to start by reducing the amount of waste you produce. To do this, try carrying around reusable containers like water bottles and coffee mugs when you go out, or get yourself some reusable shopping bags.

You can also reduce the amount of paper waste you produce by recycling as much paper as possible. You could also sign up for an e-mail account that will only send emails if you ask them to, which will stop all those pesky spam emails from filling up your inbox.

Lastly, turn off unused electronics like TVs and computers when they are not in use, so they don’t keep consuming energy even when they are switched off.

6) Shop at thrift stores

Swapping out your clothes at the end of each season is one way to stop adding excess clothing to the landfill, but it takes time and energy. The next best thing is shopping at thrift stores. Plus, you’ll find some gems. How to do it:

1) Buy used books – Studies show that buying used books has less of an impact on the environment than buying new ones. Plus, there are many secondhand bookstores that have more affordable prices than most other places.

 2) Buy vintage clothing – Buying used clothing from thrift stores doesn’t stop with books. You can buy used clothes, shoes, and jewelry at most thrift stores. Your chances of finding your favorite brand go up when you shop at secondhand stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army.

 3) Buy used school supplies – Are you feeling overwhelmed by how much school supplies cost? You’re not alone. In fact, according to The Rescued Textbook and Education Supply Store Association, up to $1 billion is wasted each year on unused school supplies.

 4) Buy vintage glasses – If you’re not ready to spring for new frames, check out thrift stores or eyeglasses stores that have secondhand frames, too.

5) Shop for groceries in bulk – Do your weekly grocery shopping once every two weeks instead of going every week, which will decrease the amount of trash created during transport and packaging.

7) Collect rainwater

Collecting rainwater is the perfect project for anyone looking to help the environment while also saving on water bills. Rain barrels can be used in conjunction with gutters and downspouts, collecting water that would otherwise be wasted.

The collected water can then be diverted into other containers or filtered as it is needed. You will have to buy a barrel at first, but you can also ask friends or family if they have any they want to get rid of.

Some communities even offer them for free. If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking out this DIY guide from Mother Earth News. It includes step-by-step instructions and helpful photos. Once you’ve done your research, all that’s left is to actually set up your rain barrel.

8) Use e-books instead of print books

Use e-books instead of print books. There are many benefits associated with e-books, like being able to carry hundreds of books on your phone and only having one battery charger. Plus, printed books are almost always wasteful because they go out of date so quickly and have to be disposed of after just one use.

One way you can help the environment is by reading an e-book instead of buying or borrowing a paper copy, which wastes paper, trees, and other natural resources. You could also buy an e-reader that lasts longer than one book before needing a charge.

9) Start a vegetable garden

Starting a vegetable garden is one of the easy environmental projects for students any student can try. Growing your own vegetables not only saves you money, but also helps the environment and can be a fun family activity.

Plus, your home will smell amazing! You can plant in containers or in your backyard. There are many seed varieties that work well with different climates and preferences.

Talk to a local gardening center about the best variety for where you live and what is popular right now. You can start by planting lettuce seeds (which are cheap) or experiment with new vegetables like Japanese eggplant, purple cauliflower, or Thai hot peppers.

10) Create a butterfly garden or bird sanctuary

Butterflies and birds are important not just because of the sheer beauty that they bring into our lives, but also because they help pollinate plants and flowers. This means that when you create a butterfly garden or bird sanctuary, you’re not just creating a space for animals, but you’re also helping the environment.

The birds will appreciate anything you do to help them out, including planting some trees, shrubs, and flowers. You can buy seeds or seedlings from nurseries and gardening shops, so long as they’re native to your area. When creating your garden or sanctuary, remember not just to plant flowers but also herbs like thyme and lavender that attract butterflies – these are called nectar plants.

How do you start an environmental project?

One thing is to know the environmental projects for students, another thing is starting. Starting these environmental projects for students is as simple as picking one of the listed above environmental projects for students and deciding where you want to start.

Whether it be at your school, in your neighborhood, or just a couple of blocks from home, there are plenty of ways to get started. Above are 10 ideas that will not only provide a fun activity for your class but also help contribute to bettering our environment.

How do you create an environmental project?

Environmental projects for students are a great way to get involved with your community and environment. They can be as simple as planting a tree or picking up trash, but they all have the potential to create positive change in your community.

1. Plant a Tree

Planting a tree is an important step in reforesting our planet. Trees provide oxygen, reduce air pollution, improve water quality, and protect wildlife habitats.

 2. Pick up Trash

Picking up litter might seem like a chore, but it’s actually one of the easiest ways you can help out! According to the U.S. Forest Service, every person who picks up litter prevents that same amount of litter from entering waterways over their lifetime! It also makes your neighborhood more beautiful and helps us work towards keeping it clean and green.

 3. Plant an edible garden

Edible gardens, or foodscaping, are popping up everywhere. Although they may not seem like an environmental project, these gardens help people become more connected with their food sources and reduce their carbon footprint by reducing food miles (or kilometers) traveled to get that food. An added bonus is that you can also learn more about where your food comes from and its nutritional value.

What we can do at home to help the environment?

At home, there are plenty of things you can do to help the environment. Here is a simple w to start making a difference today.

1) Replacing your old light bulbs with LEDs to save energy and money

2) Set aside an hour every week or two to do some weeding. Not only does it keep your garden tidy, but cutting down on weeds also means less need for chemical pesticides and herbicides, which can have negative impacts on plant and animal life in your environment.

If you don’t have time for that, at least set-aside time each month to pull up any particularly large weeds that are bothering you. It makes a big difference!

What is environmental pollution project?

Environmental pollution is the degradation of the natural environment by harmful human activities. Environmental pollution may be one or more of the following: air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, noise pollution, and light pollution.

 A good project is one that takes into consideration these five basic considerations. If you are assigned an environmental pollution project, your teacher will evaluate how well you incorporate these criteria into your final product. You may also want to utilize them when creating your own research paper or presentation on an interesting topic in general.

Conclusion on Environmental Projects for Students

In conclusion, these are some of the best ways to reduce your impact on the environment and help create an Earth that we can all enjoy. You can get involved by saving water, recycling, reducing air pollution, or creating an urban oasis. All it takes is a little time and effort. Do you have suggestions on these environmental projects for students? Please leave a comment below.

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Public Health Buckeyes: Angela Falconi

BSPH student combines passions for health care, policy

Falconi has been involved in CPH research and is an active member of Ohio State's Pilipino Student Association.

Meet Angela Falconi, a fourth-year student specializing in  environmental public health who aspires to advocate for others through public health policy.

What inspired you to pursue a public health education?

Growing up, I was surrounded by both medicine and public policy because of my parents. Since I was six, my father, a politician and elected official, had me act as his unofficial campaign staff—knocking on doors with him to speak to voters, sitting in on city council meetings and accompanying him to various events. My mother, a pediatric physician, inspired me to pursue a career in medicine by showing me the impact that she’s made on her patients and always encouraging me to learn more about the health care field. When choosing my major, it felt natural to me to combine policy and health into public health.

What public health topics are you passionate about?

“Your zip code determines your health.”

This is one of the most important phrases I have learned in my public health courses, and as a volunteer at Helping Hands Health and Wellness Center, a free clinic which provides health care services for the uninsured and underinsured. I see the realities of this phrase in the patients who I work with. 

As an aspiring elected official, I want to create health care reform which helps individuals the health care system has failed to provide with affordable service.

You spent last summer in Washington, D.C. interning in the U.S. Senate. What was that experience like?

I worked (there) through the IMPACT program, created by the US-Asia Institute in coordination with the Embassy for the Philippines for Filipino students interested in public policy. Working and living in D.C. was one of the best experiences I have had in my undergraduate career because I was able to learn about and research health care policy on the national stage, which is exactly what I hope to do in my future career.

What have you enjoyed most about being involved in research as a student?

I am a research assistant for the Consumer Access Project which utilizes a secret shopper survey of Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplace plan networks to study these barriers and inequities, including disparities related to race. I have loved getting to work with  Wendy Xu as she has helped me learn more about the research process as well as how everyday Americans experience the health care system.

What kind of extracurricular activities are you involved in?

The Pilipino Student Association (PSA) has been my home away from home since the start of my time at Ohio State. It has not only allowed me to learn more about my Filipino culture, but I met my best friend through this organization. I have been involved in PSA in numerous roles: culture night coordinator, vice-president internal, president and now dance leader. 

As dance leader, I lead PSA’s tinikling team. Tinikling is a dance which involves two people beating, sliding, and tapping two bamboo poles on the ground while two people dance above the sticks, trying not to get caught in between them. Our latest performance from PSA’s culture show “Barrio” was in October. I choreographed, taught and performed the modern part of this dance!

What are your goals for the future?

I hope to not only assist individual patients as a physician, but I also hope to help others on the national scale by being an advocate as an elected official. I hope to apply the experiences and lessons that I have learned from my time at Ohio State into my future career in the field of health policy.

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About The Ohio State University College of Public Health

The Ohio State University College of Public Health is a leader in educating students, creating new knowledge through research, and improving the livelihoods and well-being of people in Ohio and beyond. The College's divisions include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior and health promotion, and health services management and policy. It is ranked 29 th  among all colleges and programs of public health in the nation, and first in Ohio, by  U.S. News and World Report. Its specialty programs are also considered among the best in the country. The MHA program is ranked 8 th , the biostatistics specialty is ranked 22 nd , the epidemiology specialty is ranked 25 th and the health policy and management specialty is ranked 17 th .

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Fall 2024 CSCI Special Topics Courses

Cloud computing.

Meeting Time: 09:45 AM‑11:00 AM TTh  Instructor: Ali Anwar Course Description: Cloud computing serves many large-scale applications ranging from search engines like Google to social networking websites like Facebook to online stores like Amazon. More recently, cloud computing has emerged as an essential technology to enable emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning. The exponential growth of data availability and demands for security and speed has made the cloud computing paradigm necessary for reliable, financially economical, and scalable computation. The dynamicity and flexibility of Cloud computing have opened up many new forms of deploying applications on infrastructure that cloud service providers offer, such as renting of computation resources and serverless computing.    This course will cover the fundamentals of cloud services management and cloud software development, including but not limited to design patterns, application programming interfaces, and underlying middleware technologies. More specifically, we will cover the topics of cloud computing service models, data centers resource management, task scheduling, resource virtualization, SLAs, cloud security, software defined networks and storage, cloud storage, and programming models. We will also discuss data center design and management strategies, which enable the economic and technological benefits of cloud computing. Lastly, we will study cloud storage concepts like data distribution, durability, consistency, and redundancy. Registration Prerequisites: CS upper div, CompE upper div., EE upper div., EE grad, ITI upper div., Univ. honors student, or dept. permission; no cr for grads in CSci. Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/6BvbUwEkBK41tPJ17 ).

CSCI 5980/8980 

Machine learning for healthcare: concepts and applications.

Meeting Time: 11:15 AM‑12:30 PM TTh  Instructor: Yogatheesan Varatharajah Course Description: Machine Learning is transforming healthcare. This course will introduce students to a range of healthcare problems that can be tackled using machine learning, different health data modalities, relevant machine learning paradigms, and the unique challenges presented by healthcare applications. Applications we will cover include risk stratification, disease progression modeling, precision medicine, diagnosis, prognosis, subtype discovery, and improving clinical workflows. We will also cover research topics such as explainability, causality, trust, robustness, and fairness.

Registration Prerequisites: CSCI 5521 or equivalent. Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/z8X9pVZfCWMpQQ6o6  ).

Visualization with AI

Meeting Time: 04:00 PM‑05:15 PM TTh  Instructor: Qianwen Wang Course Description: This course aims to investigate how visualization techniques and AI technologies work together to enhance understanding, insights, or outcomes.

This is a seminar style course consisting of lectures, paper presentation, and interactive discussion of the selected papers. Students will also work on a group project where they propose a research idea, survey related studies, and present initial results.

This course will cover the application of visualization to better understand AI models and data, and the use of AI to improve visualization processes. Readings for the course cover papers from the top venues of AI, Visualization, and HCI, topics including AI explainability, reliability, and Human-AI collaboration.    This course is designed for PhD students, Masters students, and advanced undergraduates who want to dig into research.

Registration Prerequisites: Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/YTF5EZFUbQRJhHBYA  ). Although the class is primarily intended for PhD students, motivated juniors/seniors and MS students who are interested in this topic are welcome to apply, ensuring they detail their qualifications for the course.

Visualizations for Intelligent AR Systems

Meeting Time: 04:00 PM‑05:15 PM MW  Instructor: Zhu-Tian Chen Course Description: This course aims to explore the role of Data Visualization as a pivotal interface for enhancing human-data and human-AI interactions within Augmented Reality (AR) systems, thereby transforming a broad spectrum of activities in both professional and daily contexts. Structured as a seminar, the course consists of two main components: the theoretical and conceptual foundations delivered through lectures, paper readings, and discussions; and the hands-on experience gained through small assignments and group projects. This class is designed to be highly interactive, and AR devices will be provided to facilitate hands-on learning.    Participants will have the opportunity to experience AR systems, develop cutting-edge AR interfaces, explore AI integration, and apply human-centric design principles. The course is designed to advance students' technical skills in AR and AI, as well as their understanding of how these technologies can be leveraged to enrich human experiences across various domains. Students will be encouraged to create innovative projects with the potential for submission to research conferences.

Registration Prerequisites: Complete the following Google form to request a permission number from the instructor ( https://forms.gle/Y81FGaJivoqMQYtq5 ). Students are expected to have a solid foundation in either data visualization, computer graphics, computer vision, or HCI. Having expertise in all would be perfect! However, a robust interest and eagerness to delve into these subjects can be equally valuable, even though it means you need to learn some basic concepts independently.

Sustainable Computing: A Systems View

Meeting Time: 09:45 AM‑11:00 AM  Instructor: Abhishek Chandra Course Description: In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the pervasiveness, scale, and distribution of computing infrastructure: ranging from cloud, HPC systems, and data centers to edge computing and pervasive computing in the form of micro-data centers, mobile phones, sensors, and IoT devices embedded in the environment around us. The growing amount of computing, storage, and networking demand leads to increased energy usage, carbon emissions, and natural resource consumption. To reduce their environmental impact, there is a growing need to make computing systems sustainable. In this course, we will examine sustainable computing from a systems perspective. We will examine a number of questions:   • How can we design and build sustainable computing systems?   • How can we manage resources efficiently?   • What system software and algorithms can reduce computational needs?    Topics of interest would include:   • Sustainable system design and architectures   • Sustainability-aware systems software and management   • Sustainability in large-scale distributed computing (clouds, data centers, HPC)   • Sustainability in dispersed computing (edge, mobile computing, sensors/IoT)

Registration Prerequisites: This course is targeted towards students with a strong interest in computer systems (Operating Systems, Distributed Systems, Networking, Databases, etc.). Background in Operating Systems (Equivalent of CSCI 5103) and basic understanding of Computer Networking (Equivalent of CSCI 4211) is required.

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