News & Blog
Climate Justice Institute Winter 2022 Recap
In Winter 2022 the Climate Justice Institute welcomed eight UW faculty members to discuss and build lesson plans through a climate justice lens. This was the second year of offering this program, with co-sponsorship from the Program on the Environment, the Program on Climate Change and the College of the Environment. As the desire for connecting science and community grows among students, the incorporation of climate, environmental justice, and civic engagement into courses is becoming more prominent.
Read morePCC Undergraduate Cohort: Finding Research Opportunities
The PCC Undergraduate Cohort hosted its first official event on November 18, 2021! The event aimed to inform climate-minded undergraduates about why they should get involved with research here at the UW, how to look for open positions, and how to apply for a research position once one is found. There was both a seminar-style presentation and a Q & A panel with current College of the Environment undergraduates who have gotten research positions in the past, providing lots of practical advice to the over two dozen interested undergrads who attended!
Read moreCan “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.
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