Green Options » University of Washington

Yosemite’s Large Trees See A Decline Of 24%

Jerry James Stone — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:29:06 +0000

The number of large-diameter trees in Yosemite National Park have declined 24-percent between the 1930s and 1990s.

The findings are based on a study done by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington. Scientists compared tree densities from 1932-1936 to those from 1988-1999 where large-diameter trees are those with a diameter greater than three feet.

Along with large-diameter tree loss, they also found a shift to fire-intolerant trees. Amazingly, this shift was experienced in areas that hadn’t seen a wildfire in nearly a century. Trees changed from fire-tolerant ponderosa pines to fire-intolerant white fir and incense cedar. In burned areas, however, the pines remained dominant.

Researchers: Cut Carbon Dioxide by Dumping Crop Waste into the Ocean

Dave Tyler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:21:17 +0000

It’s a decidedly low-tech way to deal with a 21st century problem, but a newly published paper argues that the world can cut carbon dioxide emissions up to 15 percent a year by taking the crop waste leftover after the harvest and dumping it into the deep ocean.

Stuart Strand of the University of Washington and coauthor Gregory Benford of the University of California at Irvine argue in the journal Environmental Science & Technology that such a reduction is possible by dumping 30 percent of world crop residues at least 1,500 meters deep in the oceans. The method would lock up the carbon in the crop waste deep underwater for thousands of years, the authors said.

Freshmen at the University of Washington to Read about Climate Change

Amy Stodghill — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:07:21 +0000

Move over Oprah: the University of Washington has started their own book club (of sorts), The Common Book program. The next book on the list is Elizabeth Kolbert's Field Notes from a Catastrophe, a journalistic examination of the effects of global warming.

The UW began the Common Book program last year. They give incoming freshman a free copy of a chosen book during summer orientation. That book and its subject of focus is then incorporated into lectures and other events throughout the year.

Kolbert's title was selected from a list of 20 books considered for the next academic year. The committee making the selection thought it would provoke discussion and tie in to the university's efforts at reducing their own emissions and environmental footprint.

Campus bookstore numbers indicate that more than just freshmen are reading the Common Book as sales of this year's book, Mountains Beyond Mountains have sold more than 5,600 copies.

Professors at Montana State University, the State University of New York-Albany, and the University of California-Santa Barbara have also incorporated Field Notes of a Catastrophe into their reading lists.

I've read this title myself and am glad to see that it will infiltrate through the minds of university students in Seattle. Kolbert, a New Yorker magazine reporter, illustrates and communicates the complex subject of climate change in a very readable, enjoyable way. She effectively explains the science of global warming and its subsequent effects on people and communities throughout the world.

Via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sustainability is Sexy at the University of Washington

Amy Stodghill — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:46:51 +0000

Students at the University of Washington have recently launched a campaign to raise environmental awareness on campus.

Stickers saying, "Sustainability is Sexy" are meant to encourage people to bring their own mugs to campus cafes to reduce the use of paper cups. The UW goes through about 5000 paper cups a day. Small incentives are also being offered to encourage the use of travel mugs such as charging $1 for regular drip coffee and 10 cents off espresso drinks.

The campaign is led by student association the Young Democrats, which wanted to use sex to sell the environment and get people to act rather than the more commonly used technique of guilt. They figured they'd get more participation that way.

Via The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Grist