A Framework for Energy Production and Ecological Conservation
To both advance solar energy and conservation goals over fossil-fuel use, a study led by University of California, Davis, ecologists helps clarify the benefits, trade-offs and interactions between renewable energy systems and the environment.
Moms and dads caught in the frenzy of raising little ones probably don’t realize it, but the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives truly are “golden” — precious, that is, in their implications for future growth and development.
UC Davis to help young Africans address energy challenges
The University of California, Davis, has been selected to host the second energy institute for young African leaders who are tackling energy challenges in their countries.
Fellows learn how to measure tree carbon on a field trip to Lake Tahoe during the 2016 institute. (Julia Ann Easley/UC Davis photo)
Unconventional space could save energy and agricultural lands
Unconventional spaces could be put to use generating renewable energy while sparing lands that could be better used to grow food, sequester carbon and protect wildlife and watersheds, says a study led by the University of California, Davis.
These land-sparing spaces include: 1) built environments, such as rooftops 2) salt-affected land 3) contaminated land, and 4) water reservoirs with floating solar arrays, or “floatovoltaics.”
Water-focused project will help policymakers better assess impacts of climate change.
A mid increasing demands for accurate climate projections, a new grant to the University of California, Davis, from the U.S. Department of Energy Regional and Global Climate Modeling Program aims to help make better use of regional climate datasets.
Ben Houlton hasn’t quite settled into his office in The Barn.
The new director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment took over the program in August from Mark Schwartz, who had steered the program for seven years.
Researchers strive to slow climate change so forests have time to adapt
Fires used to be nature’s way of keeping forests healthy. They would burn slowly through the hills and forests of California every decade or so, clearing out underbrush and making room for more plants to grow and animals to roam. Forest fires seldom claimed mature trees, which were sturdy and hydrated enough to handle the heat.
UC Davis has a large concentration of air quality experts, including these CA&ES scientists
Qi Zhang
"The atmosphere is like a big reactor that's always cooking stuff," says Qi Zhang, a professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology.
Zhang and colleagues study the chemistry and physical properties of aerosols—atmospheric particulate matter and aerial droplets—that cause poor air quality and affect human health. Her research has taken her all over the world to analyze air samples with sophisticated equipment.
