University of Washington spinoff Banyu Carbon, which is developing an inexpensive and low-energy method for carbon removal, recently raised $6.5 million in seed round funding, putting the company on track to scale up its technology for pilot testing this year.
Read more »El Niño shows us the true face of climate change
Though the El Niño period we’re in is natural and relatively predictable, its impacts on the global environment and economy have been significant — from sweltering heat in Australia to deep freezes across the southern U.S. El Niño may be giving us a glimpse of what’s to come if climate change is not soon curtailed.
Read more »UW research helps California forest managers assess smoke hazards from prescribed burns
Across the American West, managers of fire-prone landscapes are increasingly setting small fires to prevent larger, more destructive ones. Commonly called prescribed burns, these targeted, controlled fires keep forests healthy by reducing the buildup of grasses, leaves, branches and other debris that can fuel larger wildfires and smoke out nearby communities. But smoke from prescribed burns also presents health risks. Today’s forest managers must ask themselves — how much prescribed burning is too much?
Read more at UW News »How will climate change affect how predators hunt prey?
As climate change warms the planet, weather patterns are likely to shift. Even the consistency of snow — how fluffy it is, for example — could change. Researchers also want to know how these changing conditions will affect how predators hunt prey.
Read more at UW News »Plant hardiness zones are getting warmer across the country — UW plant expert explains why it matters
The official map that helps gardeners and farmers decide what to plant has undergone a dramatic shift, thanks in large part to climate change. The 2023 update, released in mid-November, shows that about half of the country has moved into a warmer hardiness zone. Overall, the map is about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the previous map from 2012.
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