May 14, 2014

Environmental and Forest Sciences alumnus honored at White House

Scot Medbury and Chidi Duke accepting the medal on behalf of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (photo: IMLS)

President of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Scot Medbury, an alumnus of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, met with First Lady Michelle Obama to receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service on behalf of his organization. Medbury, whose graduate studies at UW focused on the history of the Washington Park Arboretum, oversees the botanic garden and executes its programs with a mission to “inspire people of all ages through the conservation, display, and enjoyment of plants.”

Read more at the National Museum and Library Service »

May 12, 2014

West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse is under way

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds enough water to raise global seas by several feet, is thinning. Ian Joughin and other University of Washington researchers used detailed topography maps and computer modeling to show that the collapse appears to have already begun. The Thwaites Glacier will likely disappear in a matter of centuries, researchers say, raising sea level by nearly 2 feet.

Meet our College of the Environment faculty

The College of the Environment is pleased to launch the new faculty section of our website. This section is meant to introduce you to the outstanding faculty throughout the College of the Environment and get to know the kinds of research that they engage in on a daily basis. There are multiple options to sort and filter, including by department and school, as well as broad research topic.

Task force to develop ‘Blueprint’ of action for Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management

Managing marine fisheries from an ecosystem perspective is a unique challenge, one that is bringing together numerous scientists on a new task force to move the science on this issue forward. Dubbed the Fishery Ecosystem Task Force, the group—funded by the Lenfest Ocean Program—will conduct their work under the leadership of Tim Essington from the College of the Environment’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

Greenland melting due equally to global warming, natural variations

Greenland ice canyon filled with melt water in summer 2010 (photo: Ian Joughin, UW APL Polar Science Center)

The rapid melting of Greenland glaciers is captured in the documentary “Chasing Ice.” The retreat of the ice edge from one year to the next sends more water into the sea. Now University of Washington atmospheric scientists have estimated that up to half of the recent warming in Greenland and surrounding areas may be due to climate variations that originate in the tropical Pacific and are not connected with the overall warming of the planet.