Environment

One of the first actions by President Biden after his inauguration was bringing the U.S. back into the Paris climate agreement. A new study from a researcher at the University of Washington shows people how much more we will have to do, to meet the goals in that accord. Adrian Raftery, a professor of statistics, is quoted.

Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics, and Peiran Liu, doctoral student in statistics, have co-authored a new study that found that the planet has a less than 5% chance of staying within the goal of 2 degrees Celcius warming this century.

Some of Island County’s best-known climate activists are young, including members of the South Whidbey–based United Student Leaders. But in this retirement destination, where a quarter of the residents are over 65, there are plenty of elders who share the teenagers’ planetary worries. Richard Gammon, professor emeritus of chemistry at the UW, is quoted.

Ecologists have shown that climate change has not been an equal opportunity stressor. As the Mojave Desert warmed by about 2°C over the past century, bird numbers and diversity declined dramatically, but small mammals like little pocket mice are holding their own. Lauren Buckley, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

"Suciasaurus rex has a leg up — OK, a femur — on other dinosaurs that might have fought tooth and claw to be named the Washington state dinosaur; there simply are no other dinosaur fossils known that could challenge S. rex for the honor," writes The Everett Herald Editorial Board. Christian Sidor, professor of biology at the UW, is referenced.

New studies knock down a controversial report observing phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere. Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted. Andrew Lincowski, a doctoral student in astronomy and astrobiology, is mentioned.

King 5 News features the Burke Museum's "Burke From Home" curriculum, which provides fun and accessible materials to learn about the animals and ecosystems of Washington.

Ancient food scraps found at Australia’s earliest site of human occupation, in the Kakadu region of the Northern Territory, are helping researchers generate rainfall records dating back 65,000 years. A new study led by the University of Queensland and involving the University of Washington provides a glimpse into the region’s climate at the time when people first entered the Australian continent from the north.

Anyone who has been stung by a jellyfish might think they know more than enough about cnidocytes, the cells that deliver the sting. But a researcher has found that these cells have much more to tell, including insight into a simple evolutionary mechanism that may enable jellyfish, sea anemones, corals, and their relatives — collectively known as cnidarians — to quickly adapt to new environments. Billie Swalla, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Our primate ancestors might have become “protomusical” to advertise their ability to perform death-defying leaps from tree to tree. David Schruth, a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at the UW, is referenced.

“Might a singular focus on zero emissions lead to the neglect of climate adaptation policies that have less media appeal? As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, climate policy should pay attention to two important but neglected issues: how the electric car industry will source inputs — such as copper, cobalt, nickel and lithium — and, because climate change is already underway, how prepared countries and cities are to adapt to different dimensions of climate change,” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

A 19th-century claim has fueled a 21st-century debate about how a warming climate might reshape animals. One "rule," declaring that animals in warmer regions usually have darker exteriors, whereas those in cooler regions are lighter, is being reconsidered. Lauren Buckley, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

“For [Milton] Friedman, managers are agents who work on behalf of owners: their principals. Because all shareholders want to maximize their return on investments, the Friedman logic goes that managers have a duty to focus solely on profit maximization. Should, then, managers support climate actions in response to stakeholders’ pressure?” write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW; Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW; and Jennifer Griffin of Loyola University Chicago.

Elena Campbell, associate professor of history, is teaching a new class on the history of mankind's relationship to the Artic.

Twenty moments from a year like no other — captured through the lenses of UW photographers.