Houston Advanced Research Center

Causes: Arts & Culture, Engineering & Technology, Environment, Science & Technology, Science & Technology Museums, Technology

Mission: Harc's mission is to: - provide independent analysis on energy, air and water issues to people seeking scientific answers. - operate as a research hub for programs finding solutions for a sustainable future. - conduct our work in a principled and agile manner. - contribute to a sustainable future in which people thrive and nature flourishes.

Programs: Harc's george p. Mitchell energy program bridges across cleaner energy options, environmental sensitivity, and economic feasibility. Making the transition to clean energy will require a coordinated effort led by non-partisan entities. Harc's continued service to the gulf coast hinges on guiding policymakers and industry leaders towards improvements in areas such as energy efficiency; low impact oil and gas exploration; solar energy development; and combined heat and power projects. The mission of the clean energy program is to accelerate development and adoption of clean energy technologies, services, and policies that enhance regional sustainability. Harc bridges the gaps between basic research in energy services and technologies and their commercial implementation by taking the lead in convening stakeholders and in crafting and executing research, verification, and validation.

harc's air program includes efforts in several areas: air quality research and management; air emission reduction technologies; emission monitoring technology and policy; and regional impacts of and adaptations to climate change. Our air research program is multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, objective and non-partisan. Our work on air issues synthesizes rigorous research and policy assessments in a dynamic way that has become a harc trademark in the region. Harc is helping texas improve the science behind its air quality policymaking through its role as research management organization to the texas environmental research consortium. This initiative has become a nationally recognized process by which key economic, environmental, and political stakeholders in the houston-galveston region work with the research community to better understand regional air science, speed the adoption of air emissions control technologies, and make informed policy decisions.

harc's water program emphasizes water quality and quantity; watershed management; biodiversity and ecological function; and ecosystem informatics. Harc compiles and analyzes numerous databases describing environmental quality; biological and water resources; and aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Integration, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding important water issues is considered key to advancing more sustainable management of coastal watersheds, water supplies, and water quality. Our approach is interdisciplinary, integrating ecological, physical and social sciences with information technology. Harc compiles and manages numerous databases describing environmental quality, biological and water resources, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats in its region. Information technology tools and geographic information systems allow harc to translate the data into information through the development of environmental indicators, statistical results, spatial and temporal analysis and to analyze changes in ecosystem and water resources.