College of Arts & Sciences - University of Washington

A&S Research: The Environment
As we celebrate Earth Day 2009, our planet and its inhabitants face critical environmental challenges. In the College of Arts and Sciences, faculty in all four divisions—arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—are doing their part to develop new solutions to environmental problems. Here are just a few of the projects they are pursuing to improve the environment.

Technology and the Environment
	CLEAN initiative Faculty in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, along with colleagues in the College of Engineering, are developing cost-effective solutions for generating, storing, and efficiently using solar energy. Chemistry Professors Daniel Gamelin and David Ginger are a part of the team exploring efforts to improve capture of solar energy to reduce dependence upon fossil fuels
	Algae's Role in Developing Environmentally Friendly Fuels Having studied the physiology of algae for more than 30 years, Biology Professor Rose Ann Cattolico is convinced the plant life found in oceans and ponds can be a major source of environmentally friendly fuels for everything from cars and lawn mowers to jet airplanes. Read more
	Exploring Environmental Risk Factors in Russia Economics Professor Judith Thornton studies the re-nationalization of Russian energy firms, looking at how the change in property rights impacts the supply of Russian oil and gas, the costs of production, and the risks to the environment and natural resources. She speaks to the importance of the adoption of advanced technologies and strict quality controls to mitigate environmental risk.
	Environmental Engineering for a Sustainable Future History Professor Linda Nash examines the history of U.S.-led efforts to engineer “modern” environments, such as large dam and irrigation projects, in other areas of the world after WW II, searching for lessons we can apply to environmental engineering for a sustainable future.

The Human Factor
	Human Reliance on Technology and Degraded Conditions of the Natural World Psychology Professor Peter Kahn studies environmental generational amnesia—the idea that technological nature will shift the baseline of what people perceive as the full human experience of nature. Read more
	Human-Induced Environmental Problems in Sichuan Anthropology Professor Steven Harrell studies the possibilities for ecosystem sustainability in the Lianghan Prefecture in Sichuan, and of human impacts on the environment in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, Sichuan. Read more
	Businesses and Voluntary Environmental Regulation Political Science Professor Aseem Prakash researches voluntary environmental regulation—how such structures emerge, how they are diffused, and the conditions under which they can improve a firm's environmental performance.
	Ecocritism in 19th- and 20th-Century Literature Gary Handwerk, chair of the Department of English, works on ecocriticism, the field exploring relations between literature, culture, and ecological perspectives on nature. He focuses primarily on 19th- and 20th-century fiction and non-fictional prose. Handwerk regularly teaches a class on literature and the enviroment that is linked to several local high schools in the Seattle area.
	Artwork Reflecting Industry and Environment Art Professor Philip Govedare's paintings explore transformations of the natural world through industry and enterprise, including the unintended consequences of human impact on a fragile environment.
	Ethics and Environmental Impacts on Future Generations Philosophy Professor Stephen Gardiner studies climate change and environmental economics, with an emphasis on our obligations to future generations. He organized the interdisciplinary "Ethics and Climate Change" conference at the UW in 2007.

Climate Studies
	Seattle's Big Role in the Fight Against Global Warming Atmospheric Sciences Professor David Battisti studies the natural variability of the climate system. He was part of a group that orchestrated a national campaign to convince the Supreme Court that the federal government's failure to regulate is causing environmental harm. Read more
	Climate of the Pacific Northwest In his new book, Weather of the Pacific Northwest, Atmospheric Sciences Professor Cliff Mass explains that our region has among the most extreme gradients in weather, with rain forest and rain shadow, desert and glacier, often found just a few miles apart. Read more
	Forecast Confusion Psychology Senior Lecturer Susan Joslyn, studying the public's understanding of weather predictions, found that more than half of those questioned misunderstood the percentages used in forecasts to describe the probability of precipitation, with implications for weather-related decisions such as school closures or agricultural crop protection. Read more

Animal Impacts
	Environmental Influences on Penguins Biology Professor Dee Boersman, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Penguin Project, researches the relationship between human-induced environmental problems and a dramatic population decline in penguins. She has recently established the Center for Penguins as Ocean Sentinels. Read more
	Elephants Hunted for the Illegal Ivory Trade African elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory at a rate unprecedented since an international convention banning ivory trade took effect in 1989. Samuel Wasser, director of the UW Center for Conservation Biology, investigates the severe consequences this has on the elephant population. Read more

Lecture: DNA Forensics and the Illegal Ivory Trade

On April 22, Biology Professor Sam Wasser will present the first Lecture for Biology Alumni and Friends, titled “Using DNA forensics to combat the burgeoning illegal ivory trade.” Wasser, a world-renowned conservation biologist and Director of the UW's Center for Conservation Biology, will discuss genetic tools developed by the Center to track the origin of poached ivory across Africa, and the potential for these tools to control poaching. 6:30 pm, UW Physics/Astronomy Auditorium. RSVP required. Learn more.

Technology and the Environment

The Human Factor

Climate Studies

Animal Impacts