News & Blog
Can “scrollytelling” effectively communicate the link between climate science and fishery disaster impacts?
Creating a dynamic webpage to convey the cascading impacts of climate change on the U.S. West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. A capstone in fulfillment of the UW PCC Graduate Certificate in Climate Science. Written by: Katy Bland, M.M.A. 2021 (SMEA) On the U.S. west coast, harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become frequent over the last two decades. To the average person on the west coast, a bloom may mean that razor clams or Dungeness crabs are missing from the grocery, but to fishers, seafood processors, and coastal communities, HABs may mean that fisheries are delayed and livelihoods are affected.
Read morePCC Undergrad Cohort Kickoff Meeting
On 29 September 2021, the PCC hosted its first in-person undergraduate cohort meeting. We welcomed new undergrads, answered questions concerning the PCC, and discussed the future of the cohort. In a program like PCC that is grad student dominated, the undergrad cohort can be a place for undergrads to steer their own proverbial ship and create events and belong to a community of others interested in climate science.
Read moreA look at the PCC 20th Anniversary Celebration and Strategic Plan Release Party
On September 15th the PCC hosted our 20th Anniversary/Strategic plan release party at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Director Becky Alexander (ATM S) introduced the strategic plan which will be implemented over the next five years, and discussed the goals and priorities for the PCC during this time. This was followed by Former Director Jim Murray (OCN) as he looked back on the history of the PCC, the growth that has been made over the last 20 years, and his hopes for the future for the program.
Read moreCan Communicating the Benefits of Novel Ecosystem Restoration Techniques Promote Climate Change Literacy and Action?
Learning about how restoration projects can benefit their communities can inspire people to take more than just the usual, low-effort actions meant to address climate change. Read about my online workshop held in fulfillment of the UW PCC Graduate Certificate in Climate Science. Written by James Lee I’m from a place in the San Francisco Bay Area where ecosystem restoration is talked about a lot.
Read moreLessons Learned: How Can We Connect Middle School Students to Climate Change and Ocean Acidification?
A collaboration between UW students and DNR using local nearshore ecosystems as examples to center a climate change curriculum. A capstone in fulfillment of the UW PCC Graduate Certificate in Climate Science. Written by: Amanda Arnold, Katie Byrnes, and Lizzy Matteri Climate change is so vast and complex, riddled with intricate interactions, making teaching it to young students daunting. Additionally, while many middle school teachers have training in biology and want to incorporate climate change and biological responses to climate change in their teaching, they often lack formal coursework in climate change.
Read moreThe local economic impact of the “fracking boom” in Ohio
An ACORN Project completed by University of Washington graduate students Logan Arnold (Master’s Student, Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management) and Tyler Cox (PhD Student, Atmospheric Sciences) in collaboration with the Ohio River Valley Institute Technological advancements in the last decade have allowed companies to profit off of the shale gas reserves underlying portions of the U.S. – the so-called “Fracking Boom.” Ohio, in particular, has seen an enormous surge in natural gas production since 2013.
Read moreHow can sea otters help mitigate climate change impacts?
Kelp, urchins, carbon, indigenous participation, and reintroduction are part of the answer. Read about my event of short engaging lightning talks in fulfillment of the UW PCC Graduate Certificate in Climate Science. Written by: Amy Olsen Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are a small mammal in the weasel family. They are a keystone species, which means they have a big impact on keeping their ecosystem balanced.
Read moreReduce: Experiences & Insights
Written by Billy Henshaw, Graduate Student, UW Atmospheric Sciences I had always wanted to be a part of a startup focusing on “greentech”, innovative technological solutions to adapt to climate change or solve the climate crisis; I am intrigued by climate change as a social and political problem. Thus, I viewed climate solutions with a lot of curiosity and excitement. When I learned that Reduce, a greentech startup hoping to curb unsustainable consumerism, was looking for UW graduate students, I hopped on the opportunity.
Read moreGoing the Distance – First ever virtual GCC organized jointly by UW and MIT students explores climate research through climate policy and DEI lenses
The 14th Annual Graduate Climate Conference (GCC) was held virtually for the first time ever over the weekend of October 30 – November 1, 2020, bringing together graduate students across a wide range of disciplines with ‘climate’ as a research theme. This conference is known across the graduate climate community as a “conference for students, by students.” A team of volunteer graduate students organizes the conference, which is attended exclusively by graduate students at no cost.
Read morePreparing for the Future of Our Planet: A Look at UW’s Climate Minor
Written by Jordan Winter Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. It seems like there are new developments every week—another storm to keep track of, rising levels of greenhouse gases, more species going extinct. With all that is going on in the world, what can I do about it? How can I use my voice and amplify the voices of others?
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