The 2015 Climate Change Conference, COP 21, kicked off this week as 196 parties from across the globe convene in Paris. From Nov. 30 through Dec. 11, leaders will work to adopt the world’s first legally binding agreement to stop warming short of 2 degrees Celsius. The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are a yearly event where prominent figures look at challenges and progress related to climate change.
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Four University of Washington researchers, including the Department of Atmospheric Sciences‘ Qiang Fu, are among 347 new fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Election as a fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. Fu, a professor of atmospheric sciences, was elected for his outstanding contributions to measuring and understanding how radiative heat is transferred through the Earth’s atmosphere, and how this relates to climate and climate change.
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EarthEcho International, Philippe Cousteau, Jr.’s environmental education and youth leadership nonprofit, has launched an expedition—called “Acid Apocalypse”—around Washington state to explore the growing threat of ocean acidification and meet with students and scientists to learn how the issue affects their lives. The organization, founded by the grandchildren of legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau, is hosting Google Hangouts while in the field and will produce documentary-style videos, lesson plans, and other resources about ocean acidification for teachers and students.
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The Puget Sound watershed, the area west of the Cascades Mountains that stretches from the state capitol up to the Canadian border, is warming. It also faces rising seas, heavier downpours, larger and more frequent floods, more sediment in its rivers, less snow, and hotter, drier summer streams. A new report by the University of Washington synthesizes all the relevant research about the future of the Puget Sound region to paint a picture of what to expect in the coming decades, and how best to prepare for that future.
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Unlike some natural disasters that we can depend on arriving at our doorstep every year—hurricanes, tornados, fires—earthquakes can be out of sight and out of mind because of their relative infrequency. But when the Big One strikes, it could be a real catastrophe for the Pacific Northwest coast, deeply disrupting the lives and economies throughout the region. John Vidale, professor of Earth and Space Sciences and chief seismologist for the State of Washington, wants people to be aware of the threats.
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