What's Current in

Environment + Sustainability

A wave crashes upon campus point with Santa Cruz Island in the distance.
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Ocean policy issues are front and center on UC Santa Barbara’s coastal campus.

Science policy education should start on campus

Read Article

oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Permian Basin
Oil and gas extraction infrastructure in the Permian Basin

MethaneMapper is poised to solve the problem of underreported methane emissions
Rice terraces at sunset in Japan
Photo Credit
iStock/Sean Pavone

Shining a light on the interconnectedness between societies and the natural world
A fishing boat deploys its nets accompanied by a flock of gulls.
Photo Credit
Split Second Stock
Fishermen and regulatory agencies will need to adapt when marine heatwaves impact the ranges and population levels of targeted species.

Lessons from ‘The Blob’ will help us manage fisheries during future marine heatwaves
A whitebark pine growing on the rock overlooking Big Pine Creek in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
Whitebark pines growing in cold, high elevation regions grew more during droughts, which lengthened their growing season.

How a drought affects trees depends on what’s been holding them back
A pumpjack nestled between trees and luxury homes.
Photo Credit
iStock
California currently has no setback restrictions, so oil production can occur in the middle of neighborhoods like Signal Hill, in Los Angeles.

Keeping California’s oil in the ground will improve health but affect jobs
In Focus placeholder

Doctoral candidate Amelia Ritger receives award for women researchers
Illustration of molecular chain overlaid on image of plastic bottles
Photo Credit
Jessie Ward O'Sullivan

A game-changing method of “upcycling” plastics helps clear the path toward a circular economy
Hillside daisy blankets hills in yellow, with splashes of pink, orange and blue.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
California’s wildflowers have painted parts of the state in a dazzling array of colors.

Tending to our superblooms requires developing plans for people to enjoy them
aerial view of wildfire marching across a forest landscape
Where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, it can create space and opportunities for adaptations and new species

Naturally fire-prone ecosystems tend to have more species of birds and mammals, a new study reveals
Stressed pines on a hill in southwestern Colorado.
Photo Credit
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.
A climate-stressed forest in southwestern Colorado near Wolf Creek Pass.

US forests face an unclear future with climate change
A snorkeler with camera and note pad investigates a nearly bleached coral.
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
Professor Deron Burkepile observes coral in the process of bleaching in the reefs around Moorea.

Stripped to the Bone: Research in Moorea shows the presence of coral skeletons influences reef recovery after bleaching
In Focus placeholder

Climate Forward: UC Santa Barbara receives $1 million to develop climate action capacity
Subscribe to Environment + Sustainability