Mission Statement

The Environmental Challenge issued in the World Scientists' Warning to Humanity lists a number of processes that are threatening the habitats of life on Earth, including: loss of biodiversity; global warming; deforestation; desertification; stratospheric ozone depletion; pollution and depletion of water, air, and other natural resources; and rapid population growth. On a local scale, The State of Texas faces a number of these threats. Important decisions will have to be made to address and, ultimately, to mitigate these problems. Such decisions are often made in the face of conflicting data or, more commonly, in the absence of data. Conducting basic science in the environmental area is needed to inform researchers, policy makers, and the public.

The mission of the Environmental Science Institute is to advance our understanding of the environment and sustainability through the development of interdisciplinary research, education and outreach programs. Interdisciplinary research efforts that cross traditional boundaries of academic departments are necessary to understand the complex interactions of the biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere in the Earth system, as well as the human dimensions of these interactions. The Institute serves as a focal point on campus for a wide scope of interdisciplinary research and teaching. Through the Institute, state-of-the-art research and technology is brought to bear on scientific aspects of environmental change, with dissemination of approaches and findings through graduate and undergraduate teaching as well as public outreach.