The more I studied the biophysical sciences the more I discovered that the sciences have their hubris too; but I realized that science is just another form of narrative; it is wholly comprised of stories that are fought over endlessly through graphs and charts and impressive bibliographies.
Graduate Students Awarded Switzer Environmental Fellowship
Berkeley students Karen Andrade, Lara Cushing and Rachel Golden were each awarded a merit-based fellowship to help them develop the skills and expertise to address today’s environmental challenges.
Warmer, Drier Climate Altering Forests Statewide
Historical California vegetation data that more than once dodged the dumpster have now proved their true value, documenting that a changing forest structure seen in the Sierra Nevada has actually happened statewide over the past 90 years.
Edible Education 101: The Rise and Future of the Food Movement
In this course, experts on organic agriculture, school lunch reform, food safety, hunger and food security, farm bill reform, farm-to-school efforts, urban agriculture, food sovereignty, and local food economies will offer perspectives making the food system more sustainable and equitable.
Rise in Mass Die-offs Seen Among Birds, Fish and Marine Invertebrates
An analysis of 727 mass die-offs of nearly 2,500 animal species from the past 70 years has found that such events are increasing among birds, fish and marine invertebrates.
Linking Revitalized Public Housing to Fewer ER Visits
Children living in revitalized public housing are significantly less likely to take repeated trips to the emergency room, according to a new study by researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.
Sensing Distant Tornadoes, Birds Flew the Coop. What Tipped Them Off?
A research team led by UC Berkeley ecologist Henry Streby discovered that birds in the mountains of eastern Tennessee fled their breeding grounds one to two days ahead of the arrival of powerful supercell storms.
Can the WTO Go Green?
National environmental regulations can be at odds with the free trade agenda because they potentially place burdens on importers to establish products that conform with domestic environmental rules.
Can Organic Crops Compete With Industrial Agriculture?
A new study representing a collaboration across several ESPM lab groups has found that organic farming is much more productive than commonly perceived.
Surviving Stability
While the focus of so much environmental attention these days relates to how species and ecosystems are going to respond to all the changes we are throwing at them, certain species that thrive on change find themselves living in an artificially stabilized world, with equally problematic results.
“Picturing” Carbon Credits in the Restored Wetlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
Since 2010, Professor Dennis Baldocchi’s biometerology lab has been monitoring the restoration of wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to measure their viability as carbon farms. And they’re getting close to finding methods that can make predicting the “productivity” of these areas much easier and more cost efficient.
John Harte named AAAS Fellow
The honor recognizes distinguished efforts in the scientific and social applications of science.
A Unique Opportunity: My Trip to the Managed Forests of Japan
In September, I traveled to Japan to take part in a two-week long field lecture series hosted by professors and researchers of Shizuoka University to discuss issues surrounding forest management and forest policy on the global scale.
Professor Robert Lane Honored with Hoogstraal Medal
Professor Lane was recognized for his contributions in tick biology and to the epidemiology of Lyme disease. The Hoogstraal Medal honors outstanding lifelong service to medical entomology.
Sprouting from the Ashes
Several years after a prescribed fire, we were counting sequoia seedlings sprouting in newly formed canopy gaps in order to see if these conditions promoted seedling establishment.
Coexist or Perish, Wildfire Analysis Says
A new international research review led by UC Berkeley says the debate over fuel-reduction techniques is only a small part of a much larger fire problem.
U.S. News & World Reports Ranks Berkeley #1 in Environment/Ecology
We are proud to announce that UC Berkeley has been ranked the top university in Environment/Ecology by the U.S.
Bringing Forests Into Focus
95% of California's population lives in cities. How can we, as environmental scientists, share our interest in and knowledge of the natural world with those who lack access to fields and forests?
Hunters and Environmentalists: Finding Common Ground
Although early conservation efforts were closely tied to hunting and management of game species, conservation priorities have since shifted toward biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
In Memoriam - Evert I. Schlinger
Internationally recognized entomologist and well-known philanthropist Evert Irving Schlinger of Concord, professor emeritus, UC Berkeley Department of Entomological Sciences, passed Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Lafayette, California.