Environment

Seabirds are “sentinels” of ocean health. If marine ecosystems are suffering, the birds will be among the first to show it. Now a major study finds that seabirds in the Northern Hemisphere are already struggling. And without extra precautions, those in the Southern Hemisphere might be next. Dee Boersma, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Nania, a critically endangered forest elephant, became separated from her herd when she was only three months old, and ever since has been hand-reared by wildlife carers in her homeland, Burkina Faso. But now they are searching for her mother using DNA analysis of dung. Sam Wasser, research professor of biology at the UW and director of the Center for Conservation Biology, is quoted.

Sam Wasser, research professor of biology at the UW and director of the Center for Conservation Biology, has found that two-thirds of pregnancies in Southern resident orca whales are lost due to nutritional stress through his new research.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains how a shortage of charging stations may limit the potential of electric vehicles.

Samuel Wasser, research professor of biology and Director of the Center for Conservation Biology, discusses the role that dogs play in his research.

"Bill Gates has published an important book on an urgent topic, How to Avoid Climate Disaster. It’s mostly about energy, as it needs to be, so I want to discuss it," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.

Biologist Joanne Chory has laid out a vision for a new kind of agriculture. She wants to create “ideal plants” — crops like wheat or rice that are bred to store huge amounts of carbon in their roots. They could pull as much as 20% of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans out of the atmosphere each year. UW biology professor Jennifer Nemhauser is quoted.

"Biden’s credibility [on climate] with the international audience depends on whether he can show a domestic policy pathway to the promised 50% reduction. Moreover, he needs to make sure that the climate targets do not get tied to other issues that might invite strong domestic opposition," write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

With a “supermoon” full moon coming early this week it’s likely that you’ll go to bed later and sleep less than on average. Research led UW biology professor Horacio de la Iglesia is quoted.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, has a new group called the Functional Federalism Working Group. Its name suggests that the group is meant to redress an imbalance of power between Biden’s presidency and state governments, a majority of which are dominated by conservatives. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Scientists are struggling to explain why the gray whale population plummeted by nearly a quarter between 2016 and 2020. Sue Moore, affiliate professor of biology and of aquatic and fishery sciences, is quoted.

Republican efforts to stall President Joe Biden’s climate agenda are slowly beginning to take shape. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a membership organization for state lawmakers and industry representatives that is best known for drafting model bills that are then picked up by state legislatures, is also involved. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

"Nomadland could provide a glimpse into future politics unless decarbonization processes are made equitable ... this is why 'just transition' policies should be a top political priority in climate policy design," write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

As carbon dioxide continues to rise, multiple changes in the leaves of tropical plants may help these ecosystems perform better under climate change than previous studies had suggested.

The U.S. should consider leading a multilateral coalition with South American nations to push back against China’s illegal fishing and trade practices, a U.S. intelligence agency has recommended in a document obtained by Axios. Tabitha Grace Mallory, affiliate professor of international studies at the UW, is quoted.