News

It’s better outside: Water and Climate Science Education

written by Oriana Chegwidden  Paper is crummy in the rain. Teenagers are listening, even if they seem distracted. An illustration of a snowman is incomplete without a stovepipe hat.  A few of the lessons learned while exploring outdoor climate change education as part of my Graduate Certificate in Climate Science.  The origin story The saga began in January 2017 when Jessica Badgeley, a graduate student in the Earth and Space Sciences department at the University of Washington, asked me whether I would be interested in being a guest scientist the upcoming summer on a Girls on Ice (GOI) Expedition to Mount Baker in the North Cascades. 

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2020 Grad Climate Conference Applications open

The 14th annual Graduate Climate conference will be a virtual event from October 30 – November 1, 2020. Applications are open July 20 – September 1, 2020. For more details, visit: https://2020gcc.weebly.com/. About the conference: The Graduate Climate Conference (GCC) is an interdisciplinary climate conference run by graduate students, for graduate students. Over the last fourteen years, graduate students representing hundreds of academic institutions have come together to present research and share ideas on climate and climate change in an array of disciplines. 

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What can states and their partners do about ocean acidification?

Working with the OA Alliance to map out pathways to action Written by: Charlotte Dohrn and Hanna Miller What do you think of when you read “ocean acidification”? For many of us, the phrase conjures up an image of an oyster. These delicious bivalves have been the “face” of ocean acidification (OA) since the mid-2000s. While scientists had previously been aware of OA, it wasn’t until oyster hatcheries on the U.S. 

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The Present Writes the Future: Climate Writing in the Era of COVID-19

There is no preparation for how to teach and learn during a global pandemic, much less how to approach writing about the climate crisis amidst an acute public health crisis. During Spring quarter, as we moved our lives online and braced ourselves for the uncertainties and suffering brought on by COVID-19, I met twice a week with a group of undergraduates, leading a class on climate writing. 

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Hi There, Partner: A workshop on communicating and collaborating across differences

Talking to people about what you believe in is always hard, especially when they don’t have the same beliefs as you. It can be even more challenging with the daunting timelines from the IPCC in the background. Scientists can be better equipped to discuss climate change across political and ideological difference with more training on how to frame their argument. Developing relationships with different communities can allow scientists to address their research questions and local concerns in a team effort to address climate change. 

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A Message from the PCC

In these challenging times, PCC recognizes the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic and climate change on black and brown communities and cultures around the world. Disproportionate impacts are fueled by systemic racism exemplified by the recent killing of unarmed African Americans in the United States. While recent protests here in Seattle and around the country make such inequities especially apparent now, we realize that these inequities represent the everyday lives of racial minorities now and have for generations. 

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NOAA 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 News

Antarctic 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 News

PCC/JISAO Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship Announcement

The PCC in partnership with JISAO announce a new interdisciplinary graduate fellowship opportunity to begin in fall 2020. This fellowship will support one or more students with a clear passion for working across academic boundaries on projects grounded in climate science broadly considered.  The applicants will submit a written proposal for research that would not be possible without this funding, and that builds collaboration across disciplines.  

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How can communities reduce their carbon footprint? An introduction to Community Choice Aggregation and community science

Here in Seattle, hydropower supplies more than 85% of our electricity. But in Arlington County, Virginia, the dominant utility derives at least 50% of its energy from fossil fuels. This leaves electricity consumers with little power over their carbon footprints—how can communities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while tied to a utility-controlled energy mix? Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) offers an alternative to existing utilities, providing renewable energy options at competitive rates. 

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