Three states agree to reduce water usage so the Colorado river doesn't go dry May 22, 2023 The Biden administration has temporarily resolved a dire water crisis – with help from a wet winter. A new plan would conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026 in an effort to ensure the crucial waterway continues to generate power and provide drinking water. Once analyzed and officially approved by the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dams on Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the new agreement would be in place through 2026. "This is a big deal," said Robert Glennon, a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona who specializes in water law and policy. He added the problems states faced were "truly historic and potentially catastrophic if either Lake Powell or Lake Mead hit dead pool." Read more at UArizona News
Honor your ‘mother’: Working to keep traditional ways, types of Hopi corn May 19, 2023 Some Indigenous farmers are trying to bring traditional food back to their communities. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a farmer from the Hopi Tribe, is focusing on bringing Hopi corn back to the dining table – not only for the health benefits but also to connect his people to their culture. Johnson, who also is a faculty member at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, refers to corn as “our mother.” Read more Image
Underrepresented groups in the debate over water resources May 19, 2023 The University of Arizona is helping communities contribute to decision-making on water resources in the state. Professor Sharon Megdal with the UA Water Resource Research Center talks about getting indigenous peoples involved and how their knowledge can be transferred to cities coping with water concerns. Read more Image
UArizona entomologist elected to National Academy of Sciences May 10, 2023 Bruce Tabashnik, a Regents Professor of Entomology whose discoveries helped eradicate the invasive pink bollworm from the United States and Mexico, is one of 120 new members elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. Read more at UArizona News Image
UArizona engineers lead $70M project to turn desert shrub into rubber May 8, 2023 The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bridgestone, focuses on growing and processing guayule (pronounced why-OO-lee), a hardy, perennial shrub that could be an alternative source of natural rubber. Read more at UArizona News Image
Student Feature: Maria Arantes May 7, 2023 Maria is a trilingual international student interested in studying the intersection between language and psychology. Her interests in environmental sustainability sparked as she saw the differences between countries’ perspectives towards going green. Working for AIR was her first step into the environmental field and learning more about the climate crisis through her role has made her realize that there’s still hope for people to restore the planet’s health. She’s learned that there are many things we can do to protect our planet both collectively and individually. Read more Image
UArizona kicks off plan to go carbon-neutral by 2040 April 19, 2023 Efforts are underway to wean the university off fossil fuels by 2040 or sooner. As a first step toward that goal, the Office of Sustainability is leading the development of the university's first Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. Read more at UArizona News Image
Isabella Feldmann: Never a Dull Day in the River April 7, 2023 Isabella Feldmann is a 2022-2023 Earth Grant student who interns at the Sonoran Institute. She explains that Earth Grant has amazing professional development opportunities in the environmental field that allows students to broaden their experiences in the industry! She’s also writing a thesis studying how marine microorganisms out of the Amazon River Plume use organic phosphorus versus manmade inorganic phosphorus as an energy source. Read more Image
A range of discovery: 120 years on the Santa Rita Experimental Range March 22, 2023 Part of the Arizona Experiment Station system, the Santa Rita Experimental Range is one of the longest continuously operating research areas in the world and is responsible for one of the richest publicly available ecological data sets. Read more at UArizona News Image
Food, film and futurists: Here's what's happening in the Wonder House at South by Southwest March 8, 2023 Dozens of presentations from UArizona experts, a film festival and more are on tap at this year's Wonder House as the university returns to South by Southwest. Read more at UArizona News Image