News – Page 12

Food for thought

Written on May 6, 2016.

Five takeaways from the campus summit on sustainable solutions Tom Vasich / UCI The Global Food Summit: Sustainable Solutions brought together leaders, practitioners and academics from across the University of California system May 5 and 6 to share ideas about ending hunger and address the agricultural challenges of climate change. The standing-room-only events took place at the UCI Student Center’s Crystal Cove Auditorium and at the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Center of the National...

UCI and JPL find melting of Greenland’s glaciers worse than previously thought

Written on April 22, 2016.

New seafloor mapping techniques help scientists identify high-risk areas Carol Rasmussen / NASA Earth Science News Team Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2016 – Many large glaciers in Greenland are at greater risk of melting from below than previously thought, according to new maps of the seafloor around Greenland created by an international research team. Like other recent research findings, the maps highlight the critical importance of studying the seascape under Greenland’s coastal waters to...

UCI receives $700,000 EPA grant to study climate change, air quality

Written on April 11, 2016.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded UCI $701,304 to study the impact of climate change on air quality. “This grant offers an exciting opportunity to learn about air pollution in the future from both state-of-the-art experiments and computer modeling techniques,” said Donald Dabdub, UCI professor of mechanical & aerospace engineering. “We know that both ammonia and organic compounds will be emitted more strongly in the future, and this can bring about new chemical reactions,...

Even plant-supporting soil fungi affected by global warming, UCI study finds

Written on March 7, 2016.

Ecologically rich mountain cloud forests impacted by drying climate Irvine, Calif., March 7, 2016 — On a cool, fog-shrouded mountain of Costa Rica, University of California, Irvine biologist Caitlin Looby is finding that warming temperatures are becoming an increasing problem for one of the most ecologically diverse places on Earth. Seeking to determine how shifts in the tropical mountain cloud forest ecosystem would affect resident fungal species in Monteverde, Looby and fellow ecology...

UCI expert among group urging accelerated reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Written on December 8, 2015.

Article in Nature Climate Change casts doubt on carbon-capture technologies Irvine, Calif., Dec. 8, 2015 – At the beginning of week two of the Paris climate talks, an international group of scientists is calling on the world’s industrial powers to aggressively and immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stressing that overreliance on so-called negative emissions technologies may prove too costly and disruptive to keep Earth from overheating. In an article published today in Nature...

Lessons from the Sea

Written on December 4, 2015.

Researchers travel to remote atoll to study nature of coral survival Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth. They supply food for millions; protect coastlines from storms and erosion; provide jobs based on fishing, recreation and tourism; and serve as a source for new medicines. These precious natural resources around the world are being affected by rising sea levels, warmer temperatures and increasing acidity in our oceans. Understanding...

Grad Student Wins MIT Contest

Written on November 12, 2015.

Nov. 12, 2015 – Environmental engineering graduate student Daniel Howard won MIT’s Energy Solutions for Latin America contest, hosted by MIT’s Center for Collective Intelligence, with a project that analyzes which mix of energy sources provides the lowest total commercial, environmental and health costs for society. This approach allows countries to focus on development while minimizing climate change, air pollution and health impacts. Howard presented his work, “Electricity at the lowest...

Food for thought

Written on November 3, 2015.

UCI provides a full menu of events, activities encouraging new approaches to sustainable nourishment Tom Vasich / UCI This academic year, the University of California, Irvine is a campus fit for foodies, having prepared a feast of events and activities that explore and expand upon the role food plays in the major social, political and scientific issues of the day. From cooking demonstrations by visiting eco-chef Roger Feely to an all-day Global Food Summit, the roster addresses a wide...

UCI-led Group Suggests Ways to Better Manage Urban Stormwater Runoff

Written on October 16, 2015.

Rain barrels, absorbent roofs, permeable pavement could help reduce waste As meteorologists monitor the El Nino condition currently gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean, Californians look with hope to the much-needed rain and snow it could yield. But if we’re going to make the most of the precipitation, we need to put a LID on it. LIDs, or low-impact development technologies, mimic pre-urban stream functions. Examples are green roofs that absorb and evapotranspire rainfall; rainwater tanks...

Building a dream

Written on October 11, 2015.

UCI graduate student manages unique construction challenge: the Team Orange County entry in the 2015 Solar Decathlon Janet Wilson The first time the Solar Decathlon was held at the Orange County Great Park in 2013, volunteer Alex McDonald impressed U.S. Dept. of Energy organizers with his relentless energy and can-do spirit. While he has a deep interest in sustainability, what McDonald really wanted to do was continue his engineering studies at a major research university. One of the Decathlon...