Nov 15, 2017

Are petite poplars the future of biofuels? UW studies say yes

Chang Dou standing in front of poplar tree stand

In the quest to produce affordable biofuels, poplar trees are one of the Pacific Northwest’s best bets — the trees are abundant, fast-growing, adaptable to many terrains and their wood can be transformed into substances used in biofuel and high-value chemicals that we rely on in our daily lives. But even as researchers test poplars’ potential to morph into everything from ethanol to chemicals in cosmetics and detergents, a commercial-scale processing plant for poplars has yet to be achieved.

UW's Center for Creative Conservation asks how nature and health connect

Can exposure and access to nature give a boost to human health? That question was front and center at the recent Northwest Nature and Health Symposium hosted by EarthLab‘s Center for Creative Conservation. On tap for the day were leaders in education, planning and conservation — including former secretary of the interior Sally Jewell — all exploring the health benefits that come with being outside.

Catching a diversity of fish species — instead of specializing — means more stable income for fishers

For people who make a living by harvesting natural resources, income volatility is a persistent threat. Crops could fail. Fisheries could collapse. Forests could burn. These and other factors — including changing management regulations and practices — can lower harvests and depress incomes. But the ways that these forces interact to impact income, especially at the level of the individual worker, have been difficult to track.

Bottom-trawling techniques leave different traces on the seabed

New research on how bottom-trawling impacts the seabed will fill a gap in the science and could be used to inform policy and management strategies for fishing.

Featured class: Sustainability: Personal Choices, Broad Impacts

Kristi Straus’ Environment 239 class dives deep into many aspects of sustainability.

Program on the Environment's Kristi Straus gives us an inside look at her ENV 239 class. Register now!

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