News & Blog
Alexander and Hess in “3 Ways Climate Change Affects Your Health”
This past Earth Day (April 22nd) PCC Director Becky Alexander and Dr. Jeremy Hess of UW Medicine were interviewed for “3 Ways Climate Change Affects Your Health” produced by the UW Medicine digital publication, Right As Rain. The article touches on the three things climate is changing; more frequent and extreme weather events, snow and ice melt, ocean acidification and higher sea level, but primarily focuses on how climate change affects our health.
Read moreDon’t ask officials what they think of global warming — ask if they want a warning
Professor Dale Durran, past chair and current professor for the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, has recently published an article through the Washington Post, titled “Don’t ask officials what they think of global warming — ask if they want a warning”. The article mainly focuses on the issue of warning the public about events exacerbated by climate change, as our continued use of fossil fuels will only further drastic weather events.
Read moreThicker-leaved plants may thrive due to climate change, which may help temper climate change's effects
Work by a team of scientists including Abigail Swann, who serves on the PCC executive board, and Marlies Kovenock, a former PhD student of Swann, looked into how tropical forests may be adapting to changing climate and how these adaptations have the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. Tropical forests are currently responsible for absorbing a large amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but information on how plants and ecosystems may respond to the rising CO2 levels is not abundant, making this research critically important.
Read moreHuman-driven climate change found to increase risk of flooding in the Peruvian Andes, and other glacial lakes
A recent study published by a team of scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Washington shows, for the first time, a direct connection between human-driven climate change and an increased risk of glacial lake flooding. The study focused on Lake Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, and demonstrates how human-induced global warming has increased flood risk, due to the lake's growth as the glacier that formed it continues to retreat. This study will be important evidence in an ongoing court case in which a resident of the town most at risk from increased flooding is suing a German electricity producer for its role in worsening global warming. Additionally, this process can be expanded to other glacial lakes across the world, serving as an instrumental piece in understanding the consequences and risks associated with global warming in affected areas it results in the growth and creation of glacial lakes worldwide. A key researcher in this study was UW professor of Earth and Space Sciences Gerard Roe, whose participation in the study and previous work in creating a method that can determine if an individual glacier's retreat can be directly linked to anthropogenic climate change was instrumental to the study. Roe is also a member of the PCC Executive Board.
Read more at UW NewsCongrats to Kyle Armour, recipient of the 2020 James B. Macelwane Medal from AGU!
Kyle Armour, PCC Executive Board member and associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and School of Oceanography, has been selected as a recipient of the 2020 James B. Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The Macelwane Medal is given annually to three to five early-career scientists in recognition of their significant contributions to Earth and space science. Congrats Kyle!
Read more at UW Atmos NewsHow Climate Change Affects Wildfires
Brian Harvey, Professor of climate and ecology in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences was asked to comment in this ABC news article on recent west coast wildfires. Harvey recently gave a talk on the impact of wildfires on a forest ecosystem at the 2020 PCC Summer Institute.
Read more at ABC NewsIntroducing ACORN Projects
We often refer to an “academic bubble” filled with researchers, professors, and students, like ourselves, who are isolated from the broader communities they inhabit. Importantly, academic research objectives don’t always align with the immediate, actionable priorities of these wider communities. While the extent to which “academic bubbles” exist can be debated, there is undoubtedly room for improvement in conducting meaningful engagement and research in partnership with communities.
Read moreNOAA selects UW to host Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced that it has selected the University of Washington to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES). The new institute will continue to address research themes that the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) has focused on, as well as expanding. JISAO director and PCC Board member John Horne says, "We’re excited to build on JISAO’s research and education traditions through our regional research consortium. The expanded research and education portfolios will enable us to better serve NOAA’s mission.”
Read more at UW NewsAntarctic sea-ice models improve for the next IPCC
Lettie Roach (postdoctoral researcher, UW Atmospheric Sciences) recently led a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, evaluating the newest generation Antarctic sea-ice models. This is one of many reports that were produced to inform the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Roach says, "We’ve been looking at all the new models released, and we are seeing improvements overall. The new simulations compare better to observations than we have seen before. There is a tightening up of model projections between this generation and the previous, and that is very good news.'
Read more at UW Environment NewsPolar bears in Baffin Bay skinnier, having fewer cubs due to less sea ice
Kristin Laidre, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences recently published a new study showing that polar bears are spending more time on land than they did in the 1990s due to reduced sea ice. Bears in Baffin Bay are getting thinner and adult females are having fewer cubs than when sea ice was more available.
Read more at UW News