Research
Air pollution linked to low birth weight
Mothers who breathe the kind of pollution emitted by vehicles, coal power plants and factories are significantly likelier to give birth to underweight children than mothers living in less polluted areas, according to international findings published Wednesday.
New AIDS research uses models to see through lies about sex, inform HIV policy
The increasingly couples-focused public-health policy for AIDS prevention in sub-Saharan Africa underestimates the role that cheating spouses play in transmitting the virus, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.
Persistent methodological flaw undermines biodiversity conservation in tropical forests
A new paper, published in Conservation Biology, exposes a critical factor underlying disagreements, shedding light on past controversies and providing a path forward.
Scientists look to Hawaii’s bugs for clues to origins of biodiversity
ESPM Professor Rosemary Gillespie and her colleagues focus on the Hawaiian islands’ insect and spider life in search of clues to how animals explore and settle into new niches, leading to increasing biodiversity over time.
Eating estrogenic plants alters hormones in monkeys, may increase aggression and sex
Eating certain veggies not only supplies key nutrients, it may also influence hormone levels and behaviors such as aggression and sexual activity, says a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Professor Céline Pallud and other researchers team up with the community to eliminate toxic chemicals
UC Berkeley researchers are teaming up with local organizations to plant a specialized fern known to extract a thousand times more arsenic from the soil than a typical plant.
Facing the Climate Gap: a new report showcases the work of community-based organizations in dealing with the 'climate gap'
ESPM graduate student Ellen Kersten, professor Rachel Morello-Frosch, and collaborators at USC and Columbia documents case studies that highlight the work of community-based organizations in California dealing with the “climate gap”.
Air pollution study clears the air on diesel versus gas emissions
A new study by UC Berkeley researchers says diesel exhaust contributes 15 times more than gas emissions per liter of fuel burned.
The sound of air pollution: PhD student Gabriel Isaacman creates soundscapes from smog
Air is not the same everywhere. In both urban areas and wild, powerful natural and human forces combine to create intricate mixtures of chemicals that compose the air we breathe, seek for pleasure, or avoid.
PhD Student Ellen Kersten's Paper Recognized for Outstanding Student Research by CDC Journal
Ellen Kersten and colleagues' paper, Small Food Stores and Availability of Nutritious Foods: A Comparison of Database and In-Store Measures, Northern California, 2009, examined one of the fundamental tools used in the food environment research.
Analysis of global fire risk shows big, fast changes ahead
The study, published today (Tuesday, June 12) in Ecosphere, used 16 different climate change models to generate what the researchers said is one of the most comprehensive projections to date of how climate change might affect global fire patterns.
Let it burn: Prescribed fires pose little danger to forest ecology, study says
With a rise in wildfires predicted in many parts of the country, researchers say controlled burns and other treatments to manage risk should be stepped up.
Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country
The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley.
Grassroots efforts: a farmer’s camel marketing cooperative in Inner Mongolia
Professors Lynn Huntsinger and Li Wenjun of Peking University have noted efforts to restore or maintain some aspects of traditional systems in China and the U.S. at multiple scales. These adaptations may be those needed to retain or develop resilience and sustain livelihoods in the face of rapid change.
Pamela, activist and leader who tirelessly works to improve her community’s health in rural Kenya
Pamela’s background as a community health worker has been useful for graduate student Katie Fiorella, whose research focuses on the link between wildlife harvest and health outcomes.
Graduate student Thomas Azwell's research spurred by Gulf oil spill
Graduate student Thomas Azwell is deeply influenced by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and is helping to restore the Gulf’s blackened marshes with a project that could also aid threatened ecosystems nationwide, including in Northern California.
The Salton Sea: an ecological disaster
Once one of the most productive ecosystems in North America, hosting 100 million fish, the Salton Sea is now impaired and Selenium (Se) is one of the constituents that threaten its health.
Diversified Farming Systems: finding solutions to pressing agriculture-related issues
The Berkeley Center for Diversified Farming Systems, which includes many of our department's faculty and students, brings together interdisciplinary researchers, writers, and practitioners to find solutions to launch the next generation of agricultural leaders.
