Jun 11, 2018

Choice matters: The environmental costs of producing meat, seafood

Fishing boat on open waters near Dingle Peninsula coast.

Believed to be the most comprehensive assessment of its kind, scientists were able to determine which kinds of food are the most environmentally costly to produce based on a decade of analysis.

Seven science communication projects to inspire your work

College of the Environment faculty, staff and students use countless ways to broaden the reach and impact of their work. We rounded up a few examples that illustrate the breadth, innovation and creativity that come with different kinds of science communication and outreach. Enjoy and explore the highlights from a year of great science communication. 1. Public Comment Project The Public Comment Project seeks to promote evidence-based policy by facilitating scientists’ engagement in public comment on federal regulations.

Ocean warming, ‘junk-food’ prey cause of massive seabird die-off, study finds

Cassin’s auklets found on Moolack Beach, Oregon, in 2014. The birds are arranged for photo documentation, and the chalkboard lists the location and time these birds were found.

In the fall of 2014, West Coast residents witnessed a strange, unprecedented ecological event. Tens of thousands of small seabird carcasses washed ashore on beaches from California to British Columbia, in what would become one of the largest bird die-offs ever recorded. A network of more than 800 citizen scientists responded as the birds, called Cassin’s auklets, turned up dead in droves along the coast.

Polar scientist Kristin Laidre documents perspectives of polar bear hunters in East Greenland

Older man sitting at kitchen table with a coffee mug and cigarette.

Few people have spent as much time studying mammals in the Arctic as Kristin Laidre, a University of Washington polar scientist and expert on marine mammals. One exception would be Inuit subsistence hunters, who for generations have relied on these mammals for nutritional, economic and cultural reasons. A new study documents the experience of these hunters and what it might show about changing conditions for polar bears on Greenland’s east coast.

Dean's letter: When our progress feels glacial — Reflections on diversity and inclusion

As Dean, this is the joyous time of year when we honor the achievements of our faculty, staff and students and confer degrees on our proud graduates. And then, as this season of ceremonies, champagne and cupcakes winds down, I will pause to take stock of our progress on our most important priorities. Here’s what’s weighing on my mind. Throughout higher education, marginalized scholars continue to experience microaggressions and discrimination at all stages of their academic paths, from student to job candidate to faculty member.

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