Resilient earth

Each year, the world produces 22 billion pairs of shoes, most of which end up in a landfill or, worse, in our oceans. What if, when your shoes wore out, they left nothing behind but a cleaner planet? UC San Diego biologists and chemists joined forces to tackle the global microplastics crisis by creating a new kind of material that breaks down naturally instead of polluting like conventional plastic. After years of research, their work led to the world’s first fully biodegradable shoe, now available through Blueview, a university spinoff company. Nearly 25,000 pairs have been produced thus far. Made from plant-based materials, now being tapped by other brands, these shoes decompose in compost, soil, or even the ocean — proving that sustainability can start from the ground up.

Baking brownies? Frying an egg? Chances are you’re using canola oil — a kitchen staple made possible by research at UC San Diego. Biologist Marty Yanofsky developed a way to modify canola plants so their seed pods don’t shatter before harvest. That simple change means farmers can grow more food on the same land, protecting the environment while keeping cooking oil affordable. Today, this UC San Diego innovation powers a multibillion-dollar industry and helps put a healthier, reliable ingredient on dinner tables across America.

When you check the weather before heading out the door, you’re using forecasts powered by teams at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who track atmospheric rivers — the powerful storms that bring big rainfall to the U.S.. Scripps scientists also deploy Argo floats and ocean drifters that send real-time ocean and atmospheric data into global weather models. Together, their work helps predict extreme weather around the world. It’s the unseen science behind everything from planning your morning commute to protecting communities when the next big storm hits.

If you’ve ever checked a neighborhood’s “Walk Score,” you’re seeing the influence of UC San Diego urban planning professor Lawrence Frank. A pioneer of walkability science, Frank revealed how neighborhood design shapes how much people walk, drive and even how healthy they are. His findings not only led to tools like Walk Score but also reshaped city planning across North America — inspiring sidewalks, transit hubs and safer streets that connect people to schools, parks and coffee shops. Thanks to his work, walking isn’t just exercise — it’s part of daily life for millions of Americans.

For decades, everyday products — from home refrigerators to aerosol sprays — were quietly damaging the atmosphere and putting people at risk. UC San Diego scientists helped change that. In the 1970s, Ram Ramanathan discovered that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), once common in household items, were powerful greenhouse gases that also ate away at Earth’s protective ozone layer. His work helped lead to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement that shields all of us from dangerous UV radiation today. In the 1990s, Mark Thiemens uncovered that nitrous oxide, a once overlooked greenhouse gas, was a by-product of nylon manufacturing. That finding drove new technologies that sharply reduced emissions worldwide. Their discoveries made the air cleaner and safer for billions of people — a quiet, everyday protection we benefit from every time we step outside.