Naomi Oreskes, a geologist, historian, educator, and author, works at the center of science and politics. Over the past decade, she has explored the history of scientific consensus and dissent around anthropogenic climate change. Oreskes will be at the University of Washington on Mar. 1, 2016.
Read more »Fewer than 1 in 25 Seattleites can really eat locally
How many of Seattle’s residents could live off food grown in their city? If abundant P-Patches and backyard gardens teeming with kale come to mind, you’re like many residents who assume urban agriculture in Seattle could support 50, 80, or even 100 percent of the people who live in the city. It turns out that the actual number is drastically lower.
Read more at UW Today »Composting food waste remains your best option, says UW study
Many people compost their food scraps and yard waste because they think it’s the right thing to do. A new University of Washington study confirms that sentiment, and also calculates the environmental benefits associated with keeping these organic materials out of landfills. The biggest takeaway for residents of Seattle, San Francisco and other places that offer curbside compost pickup is to take advantage of that service — and pat yourself on the back for using it.
Read more at UW Today »Seattle's Ballard is ripe for green-space restoration, new report says
When you look at a map of Ballard, something surprising might jump out — there are very few public natural areas for residents to enjoy. The Seattle neighborhood has its fair share of single-family backyards and gardens, but for the increasing number of residents who live in apartments or condos in Ballard’s downtown core, there aren’t many public green areas. A University of Washington graduate student saw green-starved Ballard as an opportunity to call attention to areas in the neighborhood that have restoration potential.
Read more at UW Today »Oceans and Ocean Activism Deserve Broader Role in Climate Change Discussions
Less visible, but perhaps more indelible, signs of changing climate lie in the oceans. A University of Washington researcher in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs argues in the journal Science that people—including world leaders who will gather later this month in Paris for global climate change negotiations—should pay more attention to how climate change’s impacts on ocean and coastal environments affect societies around the globe.
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