News & Blog
Where We Go From Here – A Youth’s Reflections on Moving Towards Action as a Community
My name is Isaac Olson, and 4 years ago, I was a lot more naïve. In December 2020, I was still in my first year as an undergraduate at the UW, barely aware of what my future degrees would be. I had no idea that I would still be at the UW after 4 years, having gotten bachelor’s degrees in both Oceanography and Environmental Studies, and now pursuing a master’s degree with the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
Read moreGraubard Fellowship supports high resolution mapping of Sea Surface Temperature anomalies
by Naomi Wharton The ocean can store approximately 1000 times more heat than the atmosphere. As a result, where and when energy is released from the ocean to the atmosphere can have significant consequences for weather and climate patterns. Sea surface temperature (SST) is a key indicator of air-sea processes that transfer energy between the ocean and atmosphere across many spatial and temporal scales.
Read moreRoles of Uncultured Microbes in the Nitrogen Cycle of Oxygen Deficient Zones
by Jordan Winter, UW Oceanography Graduate Student Oxygen deficient zones (ODZs) are areas of the ocean with sluggish circulation that result in anoxic water columns hundreds of meters thick. These regions harbor many unique microbes and are expanding in depth and extent due to climate change. A common energy strategy for ODZ microbes is denitrification, which is the multi-step process of reducing nitrate to nitrogen gas.
Read moreAll (Undergraduates) Deserve A Climate Education
As Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans heat and host increasing amounts of fossil carbon, humanity struggles with one of the biggest challenges of our time, anthropogenic climate change. This struggle is ever more apparent at every level of society. How we address this challenge will determine our future as well as that of many species on the planet. Yet, according to the Yale Climate Opinion Survey results of 2023, over 60% of us in the U.S.
Read moreUCo Autumn Update: Building Community
In striving to gain strength as an undergraduate climate community, this Autumn quarter has been eventful for the PCC Undergraduate Cohort (UCo). Heading into this academic year, we built on our strength as a Registered Student Organization (RSO) and set our focus on hosting more events. Our goals were to further build an undergraduate community and plan events focused on the interests and energies of the members.
Read moreConversations in Climate Progress and Interventions: The 2024 PCC Summer Institute
The 2024 Summer Institute was held at UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories, nestled on San Juan Island in the northern region of Puget Sound. This year’s event spanned three days, September 9th through the 11th. The theme was the controversial topic of geoengineering, which explores technologies with the potential to alter Earth’s climate system to offset the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
Read moreEmbracing Bioplastics: A Sustainable Alternative to Fossil Fuel-Based Plastics
Lexi Maerz 20 May 2024 On January 29th, 2024, Science on Tap held their monthly science talk at Ravenna Third Place Bookstore, where I was honored to be featured as their guest speaker. I am a Master’s student in Bioresource Science and Engineering at the University of Washington researching sustainable alternatives to fossil-fuel based plastics. I shared my insights into the promising future of bioplastics, showcasing my own work in the lab.
Read moreA Recap of the 2024 Spring Symposium
The Program on Climate Change (PCC) community gathered for the annual Spring Symposium highlighting undergrad and grad student research. The event was hosted by the PCC Graduate Steering Committee (P-GraSC) on the evening of Thursday, May 2nd in the Ocean Sciences Building. The event began with P-GraSC introductions and updates on past and upcoming events, like the City Nature Challenge and the Schooner Series.
Read moreUCo: Grad School Explained Panel
The PCC Undergraduate Cohort (UCo) hosted a “Grad School Explained” session on the afternoon of Monday, April 29th, 2024. This event was formed to supply undergraduate students interested in climate grad school with the opportunity to learn more about the process and connect with current climate grad students to ask questions. Hosted in the Life Sciences Building, the event began with Pagliacci pizza and time to socialize with fellow undergrads.
Read moreHow to Find an EPA Job: Advice for Students
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a dream employer for many climate-minded undergrads. And yet, understanding the processes involved in finding and applying for these federal positions can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to figure out where to even find open positions, much less actually apply for them. Overcoming these barriers to many climate career pathways was a motivating factor behind the PCC Undergraduate Cohort‘s recent Alumni Climate Career Panel, which included Dr.
Read more