If you like to gamble, you might think that nature is bluffing. With each passing year, it appears she is not.
Archive » February, 2012
February 21, 2012
Taking stock of wave energy
Researchers make preparations for an emerging industry
These are the formative years of a West Coast wave energy industry, and scientists are working with businesses, communities and policymakers to gather environmental data, test new technologies and consider the options. Their work is coordinated through the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC), a partnership between Oregon State University and the University of [...]
February 21, 2012
Quartet for the Earth
Four students bring distinct perspectives to climate change research
A mountaineer, a world traveler, an athlete and a Chinese scholar pursue answers to climate change questions.
February 21, 2012
Reality check on climate
Climate science is moving from “what if” to “when,” “how,” and “with what practical consequences.”
February 20, 2012
Green Evolution
Economists evaluate options for farming in a warmer world
East Africa’s farms feed millions, but production is likely to fall if temperatures rise and droughts become more common.
February 20, 2012
River of change
A resilient future for the Willamette River
Although population growth and development will add stress to the Willamette River, environmental restoration projects are already under way.
February 20, 2012
Learning to think like a planet
In a rapidly changing environment that will challenge human relationships, how can we maintain a respectful and ethical culture?
February 20, 2012
State of Change
To learn how Oregon is coping with climate change, Terra magazine’s Lee Sherman and OSU Extension photographer Lynn Ketchum traveled across the state talking to stakeholders in seven sectors identified in the Oregon Climate Assessment Report. See how people from Ashland and Florence to Bend, Portland, Pendleton and Salem are using research to meet needs in public health, the environment and the economy.
February 20, 2012
State of Change: Building Our Shells
“The attitudes of Oregonians toward climate change are somewhat unknown, but small-scale surveys indicate that many residents of our state would consider it a problem worth attention by policymakers.”
– Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 20, 2012
State of Change: A Shuffling of Species
“Resilient ecosystems on land and in the sea provide ‘stepping stones’ where species can find refuge as they shift their geographic distributions due to climate change. … Management and natural-resource policies that protect intact ecosystems are a tool for adaptation.”
– Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 20, 2012
State of Change: A Capacity for Health
“The best means of fending off any changes for the worse due to climate change are similar to those already in place: ensuring that changes in disease patterns can be detected, investigating as needed, and mounting an appropriate public health response as soon as possible.”
–Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 17, 2012
State of Change: Lifeblood of a Region
“Understanding the complex interactions among climate systems, terrestrial systems, and human systems is essential to predicting future changes in water resources and implementing sustainable water resource management in Oregon.”
–Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 17, 2012
State of Change: Against the Grain
“Typically, agriculture producers are an adaptable group; however, increased heat and water stress, changes in pest and disease pressures, and weather extremes will pose adaptation challenges for many crop and livestock production systems.”
– Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 17, 2012
State of Change: Nursery of the Sea
“The changing climate will likely have significant impacts along the coast and estuarine shorelines of Oregon. Changes associated with global climate change include rising sea levels, storminess, rising water temperatures and ocean acidification.”
– Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 17, 2012
State of Change: Seedlings for Evergreens
“Adaptive management strategies may assist plants in adapting to future climate changes, but will be challenged by the long life-cycles of many Oregon tree species.”
– Oregon Climate Assessment Report
February 17, 2012
Communicating about climate change
Knowledge of concerns and values leads to a respectful conversation on difficult topics
I remember when I felt that the climate change workshop would go well. After a period of planning and preparation, our Oregon Sea Grant team arrived in Port Orford not knowing how the diverse community group would respond to the issue of a changing local climate when we were all actually face to face. So, [...]
February 15, 2012
Leave it to the beavers
Vanessa Petro wants to find out if these "nuisance" animals will create valuable salmon habitat
It’s on the Oregon state flag and a symbol for Oregon State University: the North American beaver (Castor canadensis). But how much do you really know about these semi-aquatic mammals? Likely, not a lot. It turns out that not even scientists have a firm grasp on beaver ecology, despite the animal’s prominence in the Northwest. [...]
February 14, 2012
Dirt, dung and discovery
As humans encroach on wildlife habitat, scientists scramble to identify critical travel corridors.
It was the dry season of 2006 in Tanzania, Africa. Across a landscape that varies from vast savannah to steep hillside to dense, wet forest, Clinton Epps and his science team trekked more than 400 miles on foot. He, Lauren Gwin and students from Tanzania’s Sokoine University battled intense heat and thieves who attempted to [...]
February 2, 2012
Native health
Tribe and OSU scientists study exposure to wood-smoke pollutants
Stuart Harris can still remember the sights, scents and sounds of the autumn day when he gathered with his family as a boy and helped the adults smoke deer: crisp leaves, a dusting of frost and the laughter of children mingling with the smell of smoke in the air. For Harris, a member of the [...]
