What began as mere speculation has started to take a more serious turn. Climate change is now implicated in flooding, droughts, heat waves and other catastrophes that computer models predict will become more common. Suddenly, a region long mocked for its gloomy weather seems like it could be a welcome refuge from a hot, dry future. A UW graduate student recently took an in-depth look at the issue, which would have implications for the region’s long-term water supplies, transportation and other infrastructure.
Read more at UW Today »Group at UW shows how to account for nature’s benefits in decision-making
How can we assess the value of food, energy, clean water, and other resources we depend on? A group with field offices around the U.S., including at the University of Washington, is working to figure that out. The Natural Capital Project wants to integrate the socioeconomic, cultural, and spiritual values of nature into all major decisions affecting the environment and human well-being.
Read more at UW Today »Fishermen, communities need more than healthy fish stocks
Aquatic and Fishery Sciences’ Chris Anderson and a team of scientists have developed a new assessment that looks at fisheries’ economic and community benefits, as well as ecological health. Anderson and his team created new ways of measuring three performance indicators – ecology, economics, and community – all of which can be applied across species, management approaches, and nations. To characterize a fishery, the authors drew on local experts’ knowledge, scoring each response and averaging them in each category.
Read more at UW Today »Clean lakes draw more people, and more money, Flickr photos show
One of the joys of going on vacation in today’s world is sharing our photos on social media. Whether we post them ourselves, or enjoy photos shared from someone else’s sun-soaked, lakeside vacation, now these pictures are being used for more than evoking slight pangs of envy. Scientists from the University of Washington and other institutions are using geotagged images to better understand why people choose to visit one body of water over another, how water health might play into that decision, and how much individuals might be willing to pay to keep their lakes clean.
Read more »How the ‘Beast Quake’ is helping scientists track real earthquakes
It’s not just the football players who have spent a year training. University of Washington seismologists will again be monitoring the ground-shaking cheers of Seahawks fans, this year with a bigger team, better technology and faster response times. Scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will install instruments this Thursday to provide real-time monitoring of the stadium’s movement during the 2015 NFL playoffs.
Read more at UW Today »