Apr 8, 2014

College Advisory Board member Denis Hayes in Northwest Prime Time

The College of the Environment is fortunate to have a tremendously talented group of individuals that make up our Advisory Board–and Denis Hayes is one of them. He is the President of the Bullitt Foundation, an organization whose mission is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. Notably, the Bullitt Foundation’s headquarters are housed in the brand new Bullitt Center, billed as the greenest commercial building in the world.

Jan 31, 2014

Environmental sciences lab ups the bar for green labs at UW

A soils lab that schedules fieldwork to minimize car trips, reuses sampling containers and recycles soils and leftover plant material has achieved the highest score yet in the University of Washington’s 10-month-old Green Laboratory Certification Program. With an overall score of 95 percent, Tom DeLuca’s environmental and forest sciences lab has just topped the 93 percent previously earned by a UW Bothell chemistry instructional lab.

Jan 28, 2014

New research finds that the effects of spilling oil sands into waters is not well known

A report prepared by the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs’ Dr. Robert Pavia and other researchers, for NOAA’s emergency response division, say it is unclear whether diluted bitumen will float in water and for how long the molasses-like mixture will remain at the surface. Learn more about the science and potential impacts of oilsands spills in rivers or coastal areas at this Calgary Herald story.

Jan 13, 2014

Seattle scientist distills 2,200-page report into haiku

The findings of the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment are critically important, but reading through the long, technical document is not something the vast majority of people will do. Issued late last year, the 2000-plus page report provides a synthesis of the scientific basis for climate change through graphs, figures and text. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oceanographer and affiliate professor of oceanography Greg Johnson – a lead author for one of the IPCC chapters – took an artistic approach to sharing the report’s findings, using the medium of watercolor and haiku.

Oct 3, 2011

Two new student residence halls, and an increased commitment to sustainability

The new Cedar Apartments, housing about 345 students. This building and Poplar Hall, housing 270 students, are both open for business this fall.

A new era in University of Washington student housing is beginning this month as Housing & Food Services opens two new buildings — one with student apartments and the other a residence hall with a powerful commitment to sustainability. The new halls are part of a four-building, $160 million project that will enable the UW to house hundreds more students on the west side of campus.