More than 24 tons of illegal ivory were seized around the world in 2011 — an annual record. International authorities are weighing a surprising new approach to curbing the trade: making it legal again. UW’s Center for Conservation Biology Director, Samuel Wasser, is quoted. Read more here. 

A new study co-authored SEFS‘ Crystal Raymond finds that as much as 1/3 of the stored carbon in Washington’s forests will be lost to the atmosphere by 2040, as a result of climate change-induced increases in the area burned by wildfires. Read more here. 

Check out this great interview with KING5’s Jeff Renner, about the challenges and joys of being a meteorologist, and the importance of UW’s research for weather prediction for our community. 

Since 1900, six earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater have been recorded as having caused damage in Snohomish and Island counties, or were centered within the counties’ borders. ESS‘ Bill Steele is quoted; read more here. 

NASA reported this week that Greenland’s surface ice is undergoing a major melt event this summer. Such an event is rare — the last wide surface melt was in 1889. DotEarth’s Andy Revkin discusses this phenomenon and the press surrounding the story; a video with ESS‘ Bob Hawley is included.