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Growing Impact

Growing Impact

Written by: Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment
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 Growing Impact explores cutting-edge projects of Penn State researchers and scientists who are solving some of the world's most challenging energy and environmental issues.Copyright 2025 Growing Impact Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Decoding wildfire smoke forecasts

    Decoding wildfire smoke forecasts
    Dec 1 2025
    Long-distance wildfire smoke is emerging as a serious health risk in the Northeast U.S., where many residents have little experience navigating hazardous air. Conflicting messages from apps, agencies, media, and social networks often leave people unsure what to trust or how to respond. Researchers are uncovering how people interpret these warnings, why uncertainty slows protective action, and what clearer, more reliable communication could do to better protect communities during future smoke events.
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    17 mins
  • Energy Saving Smart Windows

    Energy Saving Smart Windows
    Oct 1 2025
    How do you keep a building comfortable without wasting energy? A Penn State team is tackling that question with an innovative smart window. Using a responsive polymer, the window can block visible light, infrared heat, or both—automatically, without sensors or electricity. The technology could dramatically reduce energy use in buildings while giving architects new freedom to design spaces that work with, rather than against, the sun.
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    19 mins
  • Indigenous communities and Amazon oil

    Indigenous communities and Amazon oil
    Aug 1 2025
    The Amazon, home to rich biodiversity and vital carbon-storing ecosystems, is also the ancestral land of Indigenous communities who are grappling with the devastating effects of oil extraction across Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. These communities live amid widespread pollution from oil spills, toxic chemicals, and industrial infrastructure, which threaten their way of life and the health of their environment. In response, they are working alongside researchers to map the environmental destruction and strengthen their efforts to hold oil companies accountable while fighting to protect their lands and preserve their cultural heritage.
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    27 mins
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