Tag Environment
Lake and river foams study reveals high PFAS levels, even though underlying water may be less contaminated
Thirty-six different kinds of PFAS compounds were analyzed in samples of both the foams and water surface microlayers of 43 Wisconsin rivers and lakes.
Clearer picture of watershed quality helps people put dollar values on improvements
Researchers found that when shown a range of tangible improvements to local and distant waterways, people surveyed were willing to pay more in taxes to support some, but not all, watershed restoration efforts.
Five startups from UW with great ideas to protect the earth
From improving air quality, water scarcity and quality, to renewable and alternative energy sources, these solutions are not only better for the environment — they’re better for business.
UW–Madison scholar wins 2022 Carnegie Fellowship
Monica White will use the $200,000 award to complete the research and writing of her second book, We Stayed: Agriculture, Activism, and the Southern Black Rural Families Who Fought to Keep the Land.
Study finds tributaries play significant role in Great Lakes PFAS loading
The sources of the chemicals in the study are likely linked to a firefighting foam manufacturer, other industrial activity, and airports which use firefighting foam on runways.
Study finds that not even the largest lakes in the world are safe from salt
Researchers used water quality data and computer models to analyze the amount of salt being carried into Lake Michigan by 234 different tributaries, from major rivers to tiny streams.
From ground to orbit, sensors check air to improve quality
To comprehensively tackle the complexities of air pollution, proper monitoring and modeling is required from a community to global scale.
An Indigenous story map experience about water
A new website created by a Wisconsin Sea Grant intern in partnership with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission details what Indigenous communities in the Upper Midwest are doing to conserve and protect water.
Why cities around Wisconsin are feeling the heat
While Wisconsin may be known for its “frozen tundra,” an increase in hot, humid summer days is bringing attention to Wisconsin’s urban heat islands and their impact on human health.
UW researchers investigate mining-related deforestation in the Amazon
While these mining operations are often called “artisanal” or “small-scale,” in aggregate they are very destructive.
Tom Brock, who discovered world-changing extremophiles, dies at 94
One of the species Brock discovered helped usher in the modern era of molecular biology and underpins today’s PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus.
Weakened protections led to more disappearances of endangered Mexican wolves
“Top predators are very important to healthy ecosystems,” says researcher Adrian Treves. “They are imperiled globally by human activities.”
UW atmospheric scientist bridges science, policy, public health to bring space-based data to the world
Growing up, Tracey Holloway never intended to study science. It wasn’t until her senior year of college that she started doing research following a NASA internship.
Subscriptions to satellite alerts linked to decreased deforestation in Africa
Launched in 2016, the Global Land Analysis and Discovery system provides frequent, high-resolution alerts when it detects a drop in forest cover.
UW–Madison recognized for its water- and energy-saving initiatives
The heating and cooling plant improvements stem from an upgraded cleaning system for heat exchangers covering over 50,000 tons of the campus’s central plant chillers.
Bird’s-eye view of geology using drones offers new way to protect groundwater
Researchers at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey are spending a little less time on the ground and more time in the air — looking at the ground. What they're finding could help improve water quality.
UW researchers’ evaluation puts MGE net-zero carbon goal on path to limit global warming
If actions similar to the Wisconsin utility's plan were also taken around the world, the researchers say, "it would be effective at keeping the planet under 1.5 degrees warming.”
Native November: In new First-Year Interest Group, students connect with the land through Indigenous lens
Instructor Dan Cornelius is "trying to help students connect to place, so that no matter where they are, they’ll think more deeply about the land and its history.”
Research highlights need for grassland conservation, agriculture support
In a new study, researchers show that newly added croplands converted from grasslands important to wildlife generated less yield than existing cropland.
UW helps farmers reinvent themselves in challenging times
Innovations being developed today will help define the future of American dairy: what products are available, how the land and animals are cared for, and how farmers make a living.