By the time today’s K-12 students grow up, the challenges posed by climate change are expected to be severe and sweeping. Now, for the first time, new nationwide science standards due out soon will recommend that U.S. public school students learn about the climatic shift taking place.  Read more on the NPR website.   

Life onboard the R/V Falkor is a far cry from the spartan existence endured by most academic oceanographers on research trips. The privately run research vessel features a sauna, a glassed-in lounge and a helicopter pad to be kept clear at all times for VIP guests.  All of which isn’t too surprising, as two of the VIPs are the Falkor’s benefactors: Google board chair Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy.  

Breaking their weeks-long impasse, the Washington Department of Ecology and Pope Resources have agreed on a $17-million cleanup plan for Port Gamble Bay.  Read more about this in the Kitsap Sun. 

Millions of dollars are spent each year to restore Puget Sound to a healthy condition. But how do we know if the effort is paying off?  The Kitsap Sun is continuing a series of stories examining six categories of indicators the Puget Sound Partnership is using to gauge the health of Puget Sound.  Stories will look at indicators in categories like the ecosystem’s food web, water quality, water quantity, species and habitats.  

There’s still no clear forecast for Earth’s temperature rise, but scientists are looking to the sky for answers.  Read more in The Verge, where UW atmospheric scientist Yen-Ting Hwang is quoted.