Energy & Infrastructure

[within biophysical limits]

Research Aims

  • Quantify the ecological costs and benefits of sustainability-oriented energy and infrastructure shifts.

  • Develop environmental assessment techniques that account for feedback effects from increasing affluence and efficiency.

  • Frame all research questions in the context of global ecological change and the biophysical limits of our one shared planet.

  • Describe the policy implications of our research findings.

Research Highlights

Mulrow, J., Bozeman, J. F., Pai, S., Grubert, E., & Derrible, S. (2023). Energy-Material Cycles: A materials-based perspective of vehicle energy systems. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 196, 107039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107039

Mulrow, J., & Grubert, E. (2023). Greenhouse gas emissions embodied in electric vehicle charging infrastructure: A method and case study of Georgia, US 2021–2050. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, 3(1), 015013. https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/acc548

Mulrow, J., Gali, M., & Grubert, E. (2021). The cyber-consciousness of environmental assessment: How environmental assessments evaluate the impacts of smart, connected, and digital technology. Environmental Research Letters, 17(1), 013001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac413b

LeFever, S., & Mulrow, J. (2024). Do eco-labels accurately convey environmental benefits? A critical assessment of corporate sustainability indexing methods. Purdue Spring Undergraduate Research Conference 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26980.80003

Mulrow, J., Jensen, A., & Horen-Greenford, D. (2024). The Affluence–Technology Connection in the Struggle for Sustainability. in Exploring Environmental Violence: Perspectives, Experience, Expression, and Engagement. Cambridge University Press.

Abazeri M., Mulrow, J., & Ajl, M. (2024). A Degrowth Perspective on Environmental Violence. in Exploring Environmental Violence: Perspectives, Experience, Expression, and Engagement. Cambridge University Press.

Valle, J., Maïga, N., Krishnan, R., Ng, J., & Mulrow, J. (2023). Reconfigurations of Life Cycle Assessment: Valuing Life over Lithium. 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. https://peer.asee.org/44032

Bhattacharjee, T., & Mulrow, J. (2024). Rebound effect of decarbonization projects: A methodology to analyze CDP data. CEE 29th Environmental Engineering and Science Symposium. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Research Group
We work together to advance environmental assessment of energy and infrastructure systems.

Teaching
Environmental science and engineering courses, past and present.

Degrowth Coffee Hour
A colloquium for environmental researchers to discuss and debate post-growth pathways to sustainability.

Limits to Green
A webcomic about the social and ecological challenges of emerging technology and sustainability trends.