Children’s singer and songwriter Raffi may have brought beluga whales into popular culture with his 1980 song “Baby Beluga,” but surprisingly little is actually known about the life and ecology of these elusive marine mammals that live in some of the world’s most remote, frigid waters. Two distinct populations spend winters in the Bering Sea, then move north as sea ice melts and open water allows them passage into the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.
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Empowered by their experience abroad, a group of College of the Environment students are working toward more youth engagement in global conversations about the planet.
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What some have called the “Godzilla El Niño” is now lumbering ashore, right on schedule. El Niño tends to influence North American weather after the first of January, and indeed, we’re seeing warm temperatures in Alaska and much-needed rain in California. University of Washington researchers are tracking what the season will deliver to the Pacific Northwest region. For Washington, El Niño typically brings warm, and often dry, winter weather.
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The Pacific Ocean along the West Coast serves as a model for how other areas of the ocean could respond in coming decades as the climate warms and emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide increases. This region—the coastal ocean stretching from British Columbia to Mexico—provides an early warning signal of what to expect as ocean acidification continues and as low-oxygen zones expand.
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After a day enjoying the powdery snow on the slopes east of Bellingham, skiers can sit down with fondue and hear about the future of our region under climate change. The University of Washington and Mt. Baker Ski Area are collaborating this month to present “The 1.5 Degrees Series, and What We Can Do to Help.” The free 20-minute talks by UW faculty members will take place three consecutive Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.
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