science wire

New book by UCLA scholar traces history of American agriculture through literature
Given all the attention attracted recently by Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollan and other authors of memoirs about eating locally grown food, the nation's relationship with agriculture may seem like a new preoccupation for American writers.

Devonian Botanic Garden wins environmental award

U-M researcher and colleagues predict possible record-setting Gulf of Mexico ’dead zone’
Jim Erickson, University of Michigan, (734) 647-1842, ericksn [a] umich (p) edu or Ben Sherman, NOAA, (202) 253-5256 (cell), ben.sherman [a] noaa (p) gov or Jon Campbell, USGS, (703) 648-4180, jon

$4.4M investment in energy and environmental engineering research at UAlberta
New NSERC research chair will assess energy and environmental options for industry and government.

UCLA climate study predicts dramatic loss in local snowfall
By midcentury, snowfall on Los Angeles–area mountains will be 30 to 40 percent less than it was at the end of the 20th century, according to a UCLA study released today and led by UCLA climate expert Alex Hall.

Researchers help protect New York from climate change
Four Princeton University researchers took part in the June 11 report, "A Stronger, More Resilient New York," a comprehensive analysis of New York City's climate risks and proposed steps for preparing for future climate events.

University of Chicago responds to racial incident involving mail delivery at fraternity
This letter to the editor was submitted to the Chicago Sun-Times on June 13 by Eleanor Daugherty, Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Associate Dean of the College at the University of Chicago.

‘Tailing’ Spiny Lobster
New tools track planktonic larvae, offer possible solutions to safeguard this $1 billion industry June 13, 2013 MIAMI - June 13, 2013 -The commercial value of spiny lobster ( Panulirus argus ) in the Caribbean reaches $1 billion annually, thus making it one of the most valuable fisheries in the region.

’Make the world a more survivable place’
Receiving honorary degree, acclaimed photographer James Balog calls on grads to take action on climate change.

Arctic champion receives honorary degree

Alternative-fuel cars are no carbon cure-all
ANN ARBOR-Making cars more fuel-efficient is great for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but rather than promoting sales of electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles, policymakers should turn thei

Moving Select Computer Services to the Cloud Promises Significant Energy Savings
BERKELEY, Calif.-A six-month study led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with funding from Google has found that moving common software applications used by 86 million U.S. workers to the cloud could save enough electricity annually to power Los Angeles  for a year.

Bridge species drive tropical engine of biodiversity
Although scientists have known since the middle of the 19th century that the tropics are teeming with species while the poles harbor relatively few, the origin of the most dramatic and pervasive biodiversity on Earth has never been clear. New research sheds light on how that pattern came about. Furthermore, it confirms that the tropics have been and continue to be the Earth's engine of biodiversity.

Women in Oceanography
Unlocking the mysteries of the Agulhas Current and its effects on global climate June 06, 2013 MIAMI - June 4, 2013 - Oceanography has a new face, and its female.

Vehicle fuel economy in May ties record high
ANN ARBOR-For the third month in a row, revised figures show that fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. is at an all-time high, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

With global warming, will iguanas grow as big as Komodo dragons?
Why don't plant-eating lizards like iguanas grow as large as meat-eating lizards, such as the humongous 10-foot-long, 150-pound Komodo dragons? A recent discovery at the University of California, Berkeley, shows that at least some herbivorous lizards did grow that large during a warmer era 40 million years ago.

UAlberta seeks to expand engagement with Germany
Provost encourages governments to support international collaboration between universities as UAlberta hosts German delegation.

UAlberta gets the world talking about digital culture
Virtual conference spans the globe to create 24-hour forum on the implications of technology on culture.

City of Cambridge, MIT, Harvard launch history ’Community Compact for a Sustainable Future’
Public-private initiative aims to leverage intellectual, entrepreneurial capacity to spur innovative solutions to environmental challenges such as climate change The City of Cambridge, Harvard

Transportation fuels from woody biomass promising way to reduce emissions
Posted under: Engineering , Environment , News Releases , Research , Science , UW and the Community Two processes that turn woody biomass into transportation fuels have the potential to exceed current Environmental Protection Agency requirements for renewable fuels, according to research published in the Forest Products Journal and currently featured on its publications page.

Traffic air pollution turns good cholesterol bad
Exposure to diesel exhaust may render friendly, cholesterol-fighting molecules incapable of performing their important job. A new study suggests that the traffic air pollutant may prevent good cholesterol from battling the bad, artery-clogging cholesterol that promotes heart attack and stroke. The study's team included environmental health scientists led by Michael E. Rosenfeld at the UW School of Public Health and heart disease specialist Jesus Araujo and his colleagues in the Division of Cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

A virtual elephant from a marriage of biology, engineering, and art
A new 3-D digital model created by zoology professor Warren Porter can simulate properties of a real elephant.

Road block: fixing aquatic ecosystem connectivity doesn’t end with dams
New UW research shows that roads and culverts can have a major impact on river and ecosystem restoration.

Scientists Launch Ocean Expedition to Study Climate Change and Mountain Building in Gulf of Alaska
AUSTIN, Texas — An international team of 34 scientists sets sail today aboard the scientific ocean drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution to collect sediments in the Gulf of Alaska and investig

World’s top scientists: California & nations must act now on environment
Responding to a challenge by California Gov.

Scientists urge action on global climate change
California Gov. Jerry Brown accepted a consensus statement signed by 520 scientists, including 48 from Stanford, that sounds the alarm on climate change and offers recommendations for solving global environmental challenges.

Footwear’s (carbon) footprint
Study finds the bulk of shoes' carbon footprint comes from manufacturing processes. A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new MIT-led lifecycle assessment. But what's surprising to researchers isn't the size of a shoe's carbon footprint, but where the majority of that footprint comes from.

Los Alamos National Laboratory begins pumping tests on chromium plume
The chromium originated from cooling towers at a Laboratory power plant and was released from 1956 to 1972. Data will be used to help determine final remedy LOS ALAMOS, N.M., May 22, 2013—Los Alamos National Laboratory will begin pumping tests this summer at two groundwater monitoring wells located on Lab property within a chromium plume in the regional aquifer.

UCLA life scientists present new insights on climate change and species interactions
UCLA life scientists provide important new details on how climate change will affect interactions between species in research published online May 21 in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

U-M Water Center awards $570K in Great Lakes restoration grants
Jim Erickson, U-M News Service, (734) 647-1842, ericksn [a] umich (p) edu, Jennifer Read, U-M Water Center, (734) 769-8898, jenread [a] umichg (p) edu ANN ARBOR-The new University of Michiga

Amazon River exhales virtually all carbon taken up by rain forest
The Amazon rain forest, popularly known as the lungs of the planet, inhales carbon dioxide as it exudes oxygen. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to grow parts that eventually fall to the ground to decompose or get washed away by the region's plentiful rainfall. Until recently people believed much of the rain forest's carbon floated down the Amazon River and ended up deep in the ocean.

Getting to the bottom of how oceans breathe
UAlberta researcher receives $5M to study how carbon dioxide moves from the surface to the floor of the Labrador Sea.

Invasive Crazy Ants Are Displacing Fire Ants, Researchers Find
AUSTIN, Texas — Invasive "crazy ants" are displacing fire ants in areas across the southeastern United States, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

Q&A: Steven Chu on returning to Stanford, his time as U.S. Energy Secretary
After six years as the secretary of energy, Nobel laureate Steven Chu is returning to Stanford University as a professor of physics and molecular and cellular physiology.

Los Alamos National Laboratory selects three small businesses for environmental work

Warming in central China greater than most climate models indicated
Temperatures in central China are 10 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit hotter today than they were 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age, UCLA researchers report — an increase two to four times greater than many scientists previously thought.

Stanford adds walkers, bikers to incentive-based study to relieve traffic congestion
Stanford research offering cash incentives to drivers for avoiding rush hour has helped the university fulfill an agreement with Santa Clara County.

UAlberta awards first BSc north of 60 in Canada

Two Engineers Harness Solar Power to Help Sandy Victims
Back in 2010, when graduation still seemed remote and intangible, Rob van Haaren and Garrett Fitzgerald agreed to celebrate their Ph.Ds—whenever they might finish—by piloting a pair of motorcycles from New York City to California.

New report released on health impacts of Duwamish River cleanup
Posted under: Environment , Health and Medicine , Research , UW and the Community A new report released today, May 13, examines the potential health impacts of the Duwamish River cleanup on Native American tribes and other people who use the river or live or work nearby.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project underway at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve at 40
In the past 40 years, research conducted at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve has transformed fundamental ecology science.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project under way at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

Neutron reactions and climate uncertainties earn Los Alamos scientists DOE Early Career Awards
Marian Jandel and Nathan Urban are among the 61 national recipients of the Energy Department's Early Career Research Program awards for 2013.

UC San Diego Named Grand Champion at 8th Annual SDG&E Energy Showcase
The University of California, San Diego was named Grand Champion during the recent San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) 8th Annual Energy Showcase.

Inaugural Wallenberg Fellow to study conservation practice in Kenya
ANN ARBOR-The first-ever University of Michigan $25,000 Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship was awarded to a graduating senior for his plan to study conservation governance in Kenya.

Rich data for rural communities
New database compiled by UAlberta researchers helps Canada's rural communities plan for a sustainable future.

Logan named deputy editor of new environmental journal
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Bruce Logan, Evan Pugh Professor and the Stand and Flora Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, has been named the inaugural deputy editor of the newly launched Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) Letters journal. The journal, from American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, is designed to accelerate the pace of research across the environmental field by providing the global multidisciplinary research community with an outlet to highlight urgent critical findings in a letters format.

Inventing a new Canadian gothic
It takes equal parts vision and passion to pioneer a new literary genre. U of'T anthropology professor Hilary Cunningham recently celebrated the release of her eco-gothic novel, Perdita , with a book launch at Massey College.

Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals
UW–Madison scientists say reptiles and amphibians such as this wood frog, which can survive being frozen solid over the winter, are put at risk by disruption of the microenvironment beneath the snow known as the subnivium.

New Study: As Climate Changes, Boreal Forests to Shift North and Relinquish More Carbon Than Expected
It's difficult to imagine how a degree or two of warming will affect a location. Will it rain less? What will happen to the area's vegetation? New Berkeley Lab research offers a way to envision a warmer future.

Fuel economy in the U.S. drops from recent high
ANN ARBOR-Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the U.S. slipped last month for the first time this year, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

U of M professor named to National Academy of Sciences
Sarah Hobbie is working to understand the Earth's broken carbon cycle and help individuals and municipalities reduce their urban pollution MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/01/2013) —Ecologis

UCLA, partners get $11M to develop stroke-prevention programs for minority populations
UCLA researchers and their partners across Los Angeles County have been awarded an $11 million federal grant to fund research on community-based interventions aimed at reducing the higher rates of stroke and death from stroke among disadvantaged Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans.

Alberta counts on UAlberta water researchers
The University of Alberta's strength in water research was acknowledged today by the provincial government with funding for nine new research projects.

Grocery delivery service is greener than driving to the store
At the end of a long day, it can be more convenient to order your groceries online while sitting on the living room couch instead of making a late-night run to the store. New research shows it's also much more environmentally friendly to leave the car parked and opt for groceries delivered to your doorstep.

Eco Move Out aims to sustain success in second year
Recycling blitz gives students moving out of residences a way to save more than three tonnes of goods from landfills.

U of M seeks Minnesota applicants for tourism project designed to boost small town destination appeal
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (04/26/2013) —Minnesota small towns and rural places with populations of less than 1,500 are encouraged to apply to a University of Minnesota project kicking off this month aimed at improving a community's long-term tourism prospects.

Joint Program with World Wildlife Fund Program Aims to Train Professionals from Around World in Meas
UC San Diego and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will launch in August a new international certificate program in Advanced Terrestrial Carbon Accounting.

Berkeley Lab Startup Brings Fuel Cells to the Developing World
In some parts of the developing world, people may live in homes without electricity or toilets or running water but yet they own cell phones.

Earth's Current Warmth Not Seen in the Last 1,400 Years or More, Says Lamont Study
Fueled by industrial greenhouse gas emissions, Earth's climate warmed more between 1971 and 2000 than during any other three-decade interval in the last 1,400 years, according to new regional temperature reconstructions covering all seven continents.

UC San Diego Named One of Greenest Colleges in U.S. and Canada by Princeton Review
The University of California, San Diego has been named one of the most environmentally responsible "green colleges" in the U.S. and Canada by the Princeton Review .

At Stanford, Al Gore connects climate change inaction to political dysfunction
Following his lecture, former Vice President Al Gore answered questions from students Elise Timtim, Conor Doherty and Noemi Walzebuck.

A greener concrete? UW-led coalition seeks to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint
Concrete is the most widely used manmade material in the world. Each year, more than 1 cubic yard of concrete is created for every person on the planet.

As CO2 Reaches Symbolic Milestone, Scripps Launches Daily Keeling Curve Update
Levels of the greenhouse gas are approaching 400 parts per million; Scripps offering daily Twitter feed, news and analysis of climate indicators For the first time in human history, concentrations

Morris Arboretum Annual Plant Sale
On Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, the Morris Arboretum will host its annual Plant Sale at the Horticulture Center at Bloomfield Farm, across the street from the Arboretum's public garden.

The Asian Monsoon is Getting Predictable
Researchers find strong correlation between summer monsoon and the climate pattern that preceded it For much of Asia, the pace of life is tuned to rhythms of monsoons. The summer rainy season is especially important for securing the water and food supplies for more than a billion people. Its variations can mean the difference between drought and flood.

Every day is Earth Day at UAlberta
Whether studying climate change, seeking cleaner energy or influencing green policy, UAlberta researchers act like it's always April 22.

Berkeley Lab to Offer Workplace Electric Vehicle Charging
At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where the nation's top battery scientists are working to achieve revolutionary advances in battery performance, electric vehicles (EVs) are not just a technology of the future.

Revolutionary fibre gardening pots developed at U of’T to hit shelves soon
Consumers buying plants sprouting from eco-looking fibre flower pots have been unsuspectingly buying fossil-fuel-laced products—until now.

Revolving loan fund would quadruple California’s Prop 39 clean-energy investments
Creating a revolving loan fund to finance clean-energy and energy-efficiency projects could dramatically increase the economic impact of Proposition 39 compared to using grants and rebates, according to a new report by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

A Hopeful Message Gets a Hearing
Scripps researcher spreads word about a potential short-term win against climate change to variety of audiences A push to curb air pollution as a means of slowing the pace of climate change is g

Earth -- live and on the Web
The human population booms. Natural resources dwindle. The planet warms.

Undergraduate Spring/Summer U-Pass begins

Citizen panel tackles city’s energy challenges
Two UAlberta groups team up to bring together diverse panel making bold recommendations for a greener Edmonton.

Space-age domes offer a window on ocean acidification
A row of space-age domes off the Washington coast may provide a peek at the future. Not the future of space travel, but of climate change and the effects of increasingly acidic oceans. A University of Washington class is using the nation's first controlled-ocean research tool to study the effects of increased acidity on marine ecosystems.

WHO grant will fund infectious disease research in Tanzania
Three Maasai discuss local dynamics of infectious disease with Isabella Cattadori (second from left) and other researchers (not shown) from the Huck Institutes.

Maya Long Count calendar and European calendar linked using carbon-14 dating
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Maya are famous for their complex, intertwined calendric systems, and now one calendar, the Maya Long Count, is empirically calibrated to the modern European calendar, according to an international team of researchers. "The Long Count calendar fell into disuse before European in the Maya area," said Douglas J. Kennett, professor of environmental archaeology, Penn State.

Stanford survey: Americans back preparation for sea-level rise
The majority of Americans express support for stronger coastal development codes, according to a Stanford survey.

Early warning signs of population collapse
Spatial measurements of population density could reveal when threatened natural populations are in danger of crashing. Many factors - including climate change, overfishing or loss of food supply - can push a wild animal population to the brink of collapse. Ecologists have long sought ways to measure the risk of such a collapse, which could help wildlife and fishery managers take steps to protect endangered populations.

Honorary degree recipients announced

Stanford seeks sea urchin’s secret to surviving ocean acidification
Ocean research reveals rapid evolutionary adaptations to a changing climate. Genetic variation is the key to this ability to deal with higher acidity. By Rob Jordan But little is known about marine species' capacity to adapt evolutionarily to this condition. The delicate embryos of marine species are especially susceptible.

Kresge Foundation CEO will address climate change in U-M talk
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, 2013 EVENT: Rip Rapson, president and CEO of the Kresge Foundation, will deliver a free, public lecture on "The Fierce Urgency of N

UW Day at the Capitol showcases research, innovation
Garrett Wink, 7, from DeForest, Wis., comes face to face with a taxidermic badger as Jamie Nack, a wildlife outreach specialist with UW-Madison's Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, displays a

DOE renews Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Switchgrass, shown here at UW's Arlington Research Station, can be grown and used for biofuels. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Wisconsin-Madison $25 million per year to fund the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) for another five years.

New Lamont Study Ties Megavolcanoes to Pre-Dinosaur Mass Extinction
Scientists examining evidence across the world from New Jersey to North Africa say they have linked the abrupt disappearance of half of earth's species 200 million years ago to a precisely dated set of gigantic volcanic eruptions. The eruptions may have caused climate changes so sudden that many creatures were unable to adapt—possibly on a pace similar to that of human-influenced climate warming today.

Scientists and natural resources managers will discuss new results of eDNA testing for invasive carp in Minnesota rivers
What: Scientists and natural resources managers from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will discuss the results of recent environmental DNA (eDNA) testing for bighead and silver carp in the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.

Fuel economy of new vehicles at all-time high
ANN ARBOR-Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States is at its highest level ever, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Climate change winners: Adélie penguin population expands as ice fields recede
First-of-its-kind study led by the University of Minnesota provides important information on the impact of environmental change Media Note: Images are available for use, with credit to University of Minnesota, at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/umn_inst_tech/8615817079/in/set-72157633158685642 . Please note that the ACA permit number located in the lower leftor right-hand side of select images should remain on the photo.

UW group part of national report, meeting on adaptation to climate change
A string of record-breaking summers and a massive storm in New York City have brought new attention to the effects of climate change and prompted discussions about how to safeguard cities and crops.

In last great age of warmth, CO2 at work -- but hardly alone
Warming patterns during Earth's last period of prolonged global warmth differed dramatically from modern temperature patterns, according to new research by a Yale University scientist and colleagues. Cloud feedbacks, ocean mixing, or other dynamic factors must have played a greater role in Pliocene warming than commonly recognized, the scientists argue, and these must be accounted for in order to make meaningful predictions about Earth's future climate.

Pioneering physicist Richard Peltier wins Killam Prize
University of Toronto physicist Dick Peltier is the winner of one of five 2013 Killam Prizes, given in honour of his career achievement in science.

Progress in developing renewable energy using photovoltaics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Jeffrey Brownson, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering and materials science and engineering , presented "Power Quest: Are We Solving the Sustainable Energy Puzzle?" at a recent Research Unplugged event in downtown State College.

Government justification for new environmental policy unfounded
The Canadian government's efforts to curb the time allowed for environmental reviews over fears of adverse impact on economic development are misguided and unnecessary, says new research from the University of Toronto. Instead, the federal government's tinkering will only weaken environmental protection and not expedite economic growth, the scientists said.

Rising temperature difference between hemispheres could dramatically shift rainfall patterns in tropics
One often ignored consequence of global climate change is that the Northern Hemisphere is becoming warmer than the Southern Hemisphere, which could significantly alter tropical precipitation patterns

Researchers Release Guide to Financing Energy Upgrade for K-12 School Districts
Energy costs K-12 schools in the U.S. $6 billion dollars annually.

Ozone masks plant's volatiles, plant eating insects confused
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia. "Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals," the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.

Switching to a Power Stroke Enables a Tiny But Important Marine Crustacean to Survive
AUSTIN, Texas — Olympic swimmers aren't the only ones who change their strokes to escape competitors. To escape from the jaws and claws of predators in cold, viscous water, marine copepods switch from a wave-like swimming stroke to big power strokes, a behavior that has now been revealed thanks to 3-D high-speed digital holography.

Record-breaking 2011 Lake Erie algae bloom may be sign of things to come
ANN ARBOR-The largest harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie's recorded history was likely caused by the confluence of changing farming practices and weather conditions that are expected to become more common in the future due to climate change.

Soils in newly forested areas store substantial carbon that could help offset climate change
ANN ARBOR-Surface appearances can be so misleading: In most forests, the amount of carbon held in soils is substantially greater than the amount contained in the trees themselves. If you're a land manager trying to assess the potential of forests to offset carbon emissions and climate change by soaking up atmospheric carbon and storing it, what's going on beneath the surface is critical.

UW Medicine establishes Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases
Posted under: Administrative Affairs , For UW Employees , Health and Medicine , News Releases , Research , UW and the Community For 25 years, folks have traveled from all over the Pacific Northwest to meet for their pulmonary fibrosis support group at University of Washington Medical Center.

Volunteers use historic U.S. ship logbooks to uncover Arctic climate data
Citizen-scientists around the world are poring through digital versions of 19 th century logbooks of mariners who sailed from Pacific Northwest and California ports to explore the Arctic and chart the newly acquired Alaskan territories.

Biologist gets a squid’s eye view
Pursuing the misunderstood Humboldt squid, Hopkins Marine Station's William Gilly has strapped video cameras and electronic sensors to the animals, exhaustively analyzed their habitats, tracked them with sonar and raised their eggs.

Sun Belt cities demand less energy than northern counterparts
ANN ARBOR-Much has been made of the increasing energy demands of the warmest regions of the U.S., but cooling down actually requires less energy than heating up, says a University of Michigan researcher.

UCLA center creates first interactive electricity-use map of Los Angeles
A new energy map of Los Angeles developed at UCLA lets residents find how much electricity the average customer in their neighborhood uses, see how a neighborhood's energy use relates to its average income level and track energy use over time.

U of T's Mason White and Lateral Office at Venice Biennale
An exhibition organized and curated by Assistant Professor Mason White and the design company Lateral Office will represent Canada at the 2014 Venice Biennale in Architecture.

Meeting the Computing Challenges of Next-Generation Climate Models
Remember when a megabyte (10 6 bytes) seemed like a lot of data? Then a gigabyte (10 9 ) became routine.

Fighting fire with fire
A wildfire in Lassen National Forest in northern California, where Penn State Professor Alan Taylor studied the impact of fire suppression policy.

Suppression of naturally occurring blazes may increase wildfire risk
A wildfire in Lassen National Forest in northern California, where Penn State Professor Alan Taylor studied the impact of fire suppression policy.

Endangered lemurs' complete genomes are sequenced and analyzed for conservation
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time, the complete genomes of three separate populations of aye-ayes - a type of lemur - have been sequenced and analyzed in an effort to help guide conservation efforts.

Compost helps restore soil in arid region of China
Parched land in China has prompted Cornell environmental experts to come up with a simple solution to restore soils in arid areas, using wood chips and compost.

Senator Blumenthal and Yale panel will discuss climate change

Some Alaskan trout use flexible guts for the ultimate binge diet
Imagine having a daylong Thanksgiving feast every day for a month, then, only pauper's rations the rest of the year.

Bell Museum names Artists in Residence
Artists will explore the application of art as a medium for interpreting science in the public realm MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/20/2013) —Three Twin Cities area artists and an artists collective have been awarded short-term residencies at the Bell Museum of Natural History.

Professor makes case for U.S.-Mexico border without walls
As the United States reconsiders immigration policy reform - particularly between the United States and Mexico - the focus should be on immigration and integration instead of tougher border security, 

Sustainable prosperity: Building a new 'China Dream'
Global sustainability expert Peggy Liu to share vision for reshaping consumerism in China as part of Ensia Live event series March 27 Media Note: For press passes, Mary Hoff, maryhoff [a] umn

Remote cities benefit from connection to global hubs
Bullet trains fuel real-estate booms, improve quality of life and create other unintended consequences by sharply reducing commute times from smaller cities to large megacities, economists from UCLA and China's Tsinghua University observed in a new study in China.

Researchers' entrepreneurial skills shine at Innovation Forum
Posted March 19, 2013; 09:30 a.m. by Steven Schultz, Office of Engineering Taking top honors at Princeton University's eighth annual Innovation Forum on the evening of March 12 was part of a whirlwind transformation for Lei Tao.

Energy institute fueling innovation in new facility
A group of UW alumni from the College of Engineering take a tour of the Wisconsin Energy Institute building, which is designed to use natural light to reduce its energy consumption.

Prof. Caleb Scharf Talks Close Encounters With Meteors
When an estimated 7,000-ton meteor exploded in Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 15, showering Siberia with debris, it put a spotlight on the fact that Earth is constantly bombarded with the detritus of the solar system.

UMN Resilient Communities Project partners with North St. Paul to advance community sustainability
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/18/2013) —The University of Minnesota's Resilient Communities Project is pleased to announce that the city of North St. Paul has been selected as its partner community for the 2013–2014 academic year.

Deer dispersal research and chronic wasting disease
Deer and elk infected by chronic wasting disease may not produce any visible symptoms for a number of years. And older animals, especially males such as this handsome buck, are most likely to be infected. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Between 2001 and 2005, when Duane Diefenbach was studying the dispersal of young white-tailed deer, he had no idea the research would prove useful in trying to contain an outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Keystone State.

UCLA, Harvard experts propose new structure to guide governance of geoengineering research
Geoengineering, the use of human technologies to alter the Earth's climate system — such as injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere to scatter incoming sunlight back to space — has emerged as a potentially promising way to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Under Stanford’s transplant program, trees flourish in new homes
Stanford Report, March 14, 2013 Since 1996, Stanford has transplanted 1,048 trees on campus, including oaks, olives, redwoods, pines and cedars, providing shade for people, habitats for birds and squirrels, and landscapes that help new buildings "settle into" their environs.

Guiding responsible research in geoengineering
Geoengineering, the use of human technologies to alter the Earth's climate system-such as injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere to scatter incoming sunlight back to space-has emerged as a potentially promising way to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

U-M experts can discuss President Obama’s energy agenda
ANN ARBOR-President Obama is expected to talk about his second-term energy agenda tomorrow during his speech at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill.

Classes Without Quizzes offers a peek into everyday science
News Release Nationally recognized U of M experts will present mini-seminars designed for the general public, including students of all ages, Saturday, April 6.

The Science of Clouds--Why They Matter, and Why There May be Fewer of Them
The climate models that scientists use to understand and project climate change are improving constantly, with better representations of the oceans, ice, land surfaces and other factors in the atmosphere. While there is still some degree of uncertainty in all these components, the largest source of uncertainty in today's climate models are clouds.

Invasive weeds could shed light on climate-coping
In the race to adapt to climate change, weeds may be the winners. Understanding their well-honed coping mechanisms could inform strategies for ecological management, says a Cornell crop and soil researcher.

New York’s fossil fuel: Gone with the wind ... water and sun
Converting all of the state's energy sources from natural gas, coal and fossil fuel to wind, water and sunlight by 2030 will stabilize electricity prices, reduce power demand by about 37 percent and

Researchers map out an alternative energy future for New York
Stanford Report, March 12, 2013 A study, co-authored by Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson, outlines a path to statewide renewable energy conversion, and away from natural gas and imported fuel.

Species hiding in plain view
ANN ARBOR-Cryptic comments seem to have an ambiguous, obscure or hidden meaning. In biology, cryptic species are outwardly indistinguishable groups whose differences are hidden inside their genes. Two University of Michigan marine biologists have identified three cryptic species of tiny clams, long believed to be members of the same species, which have been hiding in plain view along the rocky shores of southern Australia for millions of years.

Natural disasters are especially hard on seniors, expert says
The devastating impact that natural disasters have on cities, people and communities is visually apparent, but the disproportionate effects of these disasters on the elderly is not as visible.

Long-term relationships, access to data drive sustainability institutions’ success
Posted under: Environment , Research , Science , Social Science , UW and the Community Turns out, the secret to fostering the emerging field of sustainability science is based on some simple and straightforward principles.

Remote clouds responsible for climate models’ glitch in tropical rainfall
It seems counterintuitive that clouds over the Southern Ocean, which circles Antarctica, would cause rain in Zambia or the tropical island of Java. But new research finds that one of the most persistent biases in global climate models - a phantom band of rainfall just south of the equator that does not occur in reality - is caused by poor simulation of the cloud cover thousands of miles farther to the south.

Groundbreaking Penn Conference Tackles the Complex of Urbanization and Food
Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World , the first international conference examining the critical link between urbanization and food security, will be held at the University of Pennsylvania from Wednesday, March 13, through Friday, March 15, 2013.

Linguistics Scholar John Moore Appointed Muir College Provost at UC San Diego
John Moore, professor of linguistics at the University of California, San Diego, has been appointed the new provost of John Muir College, effective September 1, 2013.

Penn Professor Jane Willenbring to Discuss Antarctica and Climate Change at Penn Science Café March 12

Fuel economy remains at all-time high
ANN ARBOR-For the second month in a row, fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States remains at a record high, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Reaching for the Sky
UC San Diego's commitment to sustainability can be found in its teachings, research, operations-­even on the university's rooftops.

Al Gore and UCLA institute champion climate fixes together at fundraiser

U-M partners with Israeli university on renewable energy
ANN ARBOR-The University of Michigan and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel will forge a research partnership to collaborate on developing renewable technologies.

World's leading lion researcher calls for a 'Marshall Plan' for African wildlife
News Release MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/07/2013) —African lions and villagers would benefit from fences to protect them from each other, according to a new study by University of Minnesota researcher Craig Packer published online by Ecology Letters on Tuesday, March 5.

Engineering Professor Elected to the Club of Rome
Noam Lior, professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been elected to the Club of Rome , an interdisciplinary, international think tank dedicated to sustainability issues.

Scientists calculate the carbon footprint of grid-scale battery technologies
Stanford Report, March 5, 2013 Stanford scientists have developed a novel way to calculate the energetic cost of building large batteries and other storage technologies for the electrical grid.

Social scientists stress importance of sustainability work
The social sciences have a critical role in sustainability research, asserted Kim Weeden, the Robert S. Harrison Director of the Institute for the Social Sciences, Feb.

Arctic ice loss amplified Superstorm Sandy violence
If you believe that last October's Superstorm Sandy was a freak of nature - the confluence of unusual meteorological, atmospheric and celestial events - think again.

Global warming will open unexpected new shipping routes in Arctic, UCLA researchers find
Shipping lanes through the Arctic Ocean won't put the Suez and Panama canals out of business anytime soon, but global warming will make these frigid routes much more accessible than ever imagined by melting an unprecedented amount of sea ice during the late summer, new UCLA research shows. "The development is both exciting from an economic development point of view and worrisome in terms of safety, both for the Arctic environment and for the ships themselves," said lead researcher Laurence C. Smith, a professor of geography at UCLA.

Alex Frizzell, fourth-year in the College, 1991-2013
Alex Frizzell was driven to help others, calling upon what she learned as a student of environmental economics, an avid traveler and an aspiring physician.

‘True grit’ erodes assumptions about evolution
Dining on field grasses would be ruinous to human teeth, but mammals such as horses, rhinos and gazelles evolved long, strong teeth that are up to the task.

Two-thirds of Americans now believe global warming is real
ANN ARBOR-An increasing number of Americans indicate that there is evidence of global warming, with 67 percent now expressing a belief that the planet has warmed over the past four decades, according to a University of Michigan survey.

Early warning system provides four-month forecast of malaria epidemics in northwest India
ANN ARBOR-Sea surface temperatures in the tropical South Atlantic Ocean can be used to accurately forecast, by up to four months, malaria epidemics thousands of miles away in northwestern India, a University of Michigan theoretical ecologist and her colleagues have found.

Where the wild things go ... when there's nowhere else
Ecologists have evidence that some endangered primates and large cats faced with relentless human encroachment will seek sanctuary in the sultry thickets of mangrove and peat swamp forests.

Contaminated diet contributes to phthalate and bisphenol A exposure
Posted under: Environment , Health and Medicine , News Releases , Research , Science While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a study published February 27 in the Nature Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiolog y, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers.  Children may be most vulnerable.

'BTN LiveBIG' shines spotlight on critical University of Minnesota research
News Release Karen Ashe's research into Alzheimer's disease and Peter Sorensen's work on aquatic invasive species are featured; show debuts Friday, March 1 at 9:30 p.m. MINNEAPOLIS / S

Pose your questions to science essayist Carl Zimmer on Yale Tumblr
Science writer and blogger Carl Zimmer '87 will be ed at Yale for a YouTube video, and Yale Tumblr is inviting members of the public to submit questions about the scientific issues they'd most like to hear him discuss.

U-M Planet Blue Ambassadors: More than 1,000 certified
ANN ARBOR-In just one month, more than 1,000 University of Michigan faculty, staff and students have become certified as "Planet Blue Ambassadors," receiving training on effective ways to reduce environmental impact and to lead sustainability efforts on campus and beyond.

Macroweather is what you expect
While short-term weather is notoriously volatile, climate is thought to represent a kind of average weather pattern over a long period of time. This dichotomy provides the analytical framework for scientific thinking about atmospheric variability, including climate change. But the weather-climate dichotomy paints an incomplete picture - one that may be complicating efforts to untangle natural variations in climate from man-made effects, according to McGill University physics Shaun Lovejoy.

What will Earth look like 50 years from now?
News Release Futurist and WorldChanging.com co-founder Jamais Cascio to kick off new Ensia Live event series March 14 Media Note: For photographs, Todd Reubold, reub0002 [a] umn (p) edu , (61

Rethinking wind power
Harvard research suggests real-world generating capacity of wind farms at large scales has been overestimated : Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 "People have often thought there's no upper b

March of the pathogens: Parasite metabolism can foretell disease ranges under climate change
Knowing the temperatures that viruses, bacteria, worms and all other parasites need to grow and survive could help determine the future range of infectious diseases under climate change, according to new research. Princeton University researchers developed a model that can identify the prospects for nearly any disease-causing parasite as the Earth grows warmer, even if little is known about the organism.

Should we just adapt to climate change? The question needs to be asked
UCLA environmental historian Jon Christensen (from the left) speaks to Andrew Revkin, writer of an environmental blog at the New York Times, and Alex Hall, a UCLA scientist.

Using amount of fish caught as measure of fisheries health is misleading
“The sea is a big place. Most fish are small. So it stands to reason that it is difficult to work out with any degree of accuracy just how many fish live in the sea.

Jets’ contrails contribute to heat-trapping high-level clouds
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Condensation trails that airplanes produce mean not only a white-streaked sky on some days, but an increase in the amount of high-level clouds and, by extension, warming temperatures, according to a Penn State researcher. By comparing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite images showing contrail occurrence with data from eastern U.S. stations that record sky-coverage for different levels in the atmosphere, Penn State Professor of Geography Andrew Carleton was able to confirm that contrails contribute to the occurrence of high-level clouds.

Online Course Seeks to Educate World about Sustainable Food and Energy Issues
The University of California, San Diego is developing a free online course designed to educate students and anyone else around the world with a computer and an internet connection about the challenges and potential solutions for meeting the global demands of food and fuel in the 21st century.

Course Seeks to Educate World about Sustainable Food and Energy Issues
A free online course is being developed at UC San Diego to educate students and anyone else around the world with a computer and an internet connection about the challenges and potential solutions for meeting the global demands of food and fuel in the 21 st century.

Change in Presque Isle Bay status based on Penn State Behrend analysis
A six-year study of bullhead catfish in Presque Isle Bay prompted state and federal regulators to reclassify the water's environmental quality.

Graduate residence makes the sustainability grade

Report views climate change as national security issue
Researchers at Harvard and NOAA examine connections between global climate change, national security, and politics (Harvard Gazette) By Peter Reuell, Harvard News Office A Harvard researcher is pointing toward a new reason to worry about the effects of climate change - national security.

Mutant champions save imperiled species from almost-certain extinction
Species facing widespread and rapid environmental changes can sometimes evolve quickly enough to dodge the extinction bullet. Populations of disease-causing bacteria evolve, for example, as doctors flood their “environment,” the human body, with antibiotics. Insects, animals and plants can make evolutionary adaptations in response to pesticides, heavy metals and overfishing.

Freezing field work pays off with new knowledge
Chantal Bromley spent a lot of shivering cold weekends at Miquelon Lake, snowshoeing her way through the stark white wilderness, notebook in hand, searching out data in the winter of 2008.

Mussels cramped by environmental factors
The fibrous threads helping mussels stay anchored - in spite of waves that sometimes pound the shore with a force equivalent to a jet liner flying at 600 miles per hour - are more prone to snap when ocean temperatures climb higher than normal.