Tag Environment
Go Big Read author coming to UW–Madison
In “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, Dan Egan writes, “Like generations of the past, we know the damage we are doing to the lakes, and we know how to begin to stop it; unlike generations of the past, we aren’t doing it."
Q & A: Plant expert talks benefits of owning plants for students, Plant Adoption Day
Plants are beneficial for the well-being of students. They provide oxygen and are an essential resource for all human life on Earth. And now students can get a free one.
UW project asks: What happens to irrigation water in Wisconsin’s Central Sands?
“You can't grow much here without irrigation," says farmer Justin Isherwood, "but we’re not sure how much is enough, and how to leave the same groundwater resource for the next generation."
Book about Great Lakes chosen for Go Big Read
“The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” tells the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.
Green spaces in cities help control floods, store carbon
A new study finds that urban green spaces like backyards, city parks and golf courses contribute substantially to the ecological fabric of our cities — and the wider landscape — and should be included in ecological data.
Aldo Leopold’s writings given voice March 3 at UW Arboretum
The 13th annual Madison Reads Leopold event on Saturday, March 3, will feature a reading of the influential conservationist’s “A Sand County Almanac” and other writings.
Lake Michigan waterfowl botulism deaths linked to warm waters, algae
UW-Madison researchers, with the help of citizen scientists, tracked bird deaths along Lake Michigan, and found that warm waters and algae apparently promoted the growth of botulism toxin-producing bacteria that caused them.
UW–Madison professor led fight to ban pesticide DDT 45 years ago
Joseph Hickey took a brave stance — given Wisconsin’s deep roots in agriculture — by showing a connection between pesticides and declining bird populations.
Decades-past logging still threatens spotted owls in national forests
Researchers say despite protections put in place in the 1990s, owls may still be paying an “extinction debt” that was created by historical logging of large trees.
Increased vegetation boosts rainfall in the Sahel, researchers find
The large semiarid region of Africa just south of the Sahara routinely experiences pronounced droughts that can last decades, threatening food security in the area.
Mapping cropland: UW–Madison plays critical role in worldwide map
A UW–Madison researcher was part of a global collaboration has just released a satellite-based map of world croplands that “found” 625 million to 875 million acres that were not known to national agricultural authorities.
Amid environmental change, lakes surprisingly static
Researchers found that over recent decades, water quality of lakes in the Midwest and Northeast has not overwhelmingly degraded or improved. But the meaning of these results depends on your perspective.
Survey captures global picture of air pollution’s effects on birds
Researchers sorted through nearly 70 years of the scientific literature to assess the state of knowledge of how air pollution directly affects the health, well-being, reproductive success and diversity of birds.
Cronon honored by British Academy
William J. Cronon, the Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies at UW–Madison, has been elected to the newest cohort of Fellows of the British Academy.
Degree program uses satellite, drone technologies to solve environmental problems
Students will learn skills that can be applied to conducting wildlife surveys, mapping floodwaters, monitoring environmental conditions, and many other applications.
Bacteria may supercharge the future of wastewater treatment
Wastewater from our sinks, toilets, showers and washing machines can be turned into valuable products with the help of scientists and unique bacteria.
Study measures air pollution increase attributable to air conditioning
The study shows the electricity production associated with air conditioning causes emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide to increase by hundreds to thousands of metric tons.
Student art exhibit explores Arboretum prairies through comics, stories
As part of her master of fine arts thesis, Liz Anna Kozik has installed an exhibit telling the story of the first restored prairie in the world, Curtis Prairie at the UW–Madison Arboretum.
Green Fund supports energy-generating checkout, greenhouse cooling
Two projects are the first to be supported by a new UW–Madison Green Fund administered by the Office of Sustainability.
Aldo Leopold’s words once again broadcast to the state
In celebration of Earth Day, one of his successors will read portions of conservationist and former UW professor Aldo Leopold’s radio addresses that originally aired more than 80 years ago.