Tag Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
War-related climate change would substantially reduce crop yields
July 2, 2012Though worries about “nuclear winter” have faded since the end of the Cold War, existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons still hold the potential for devastating global impacts. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Rutgers University have found that the climate effects of a hypothetical nuclear war between India and Pakistan would greatly reduce yields of staple crops, even in distant countries.
Two honored with McDowell Alumni Achievement Awards
May 7, 2012The University of Wisconsin–Madison's Multicultural Student Center will name John Francis and Kabzuag Vaj as the 2012 honorees of the McDowell Alumni Achievement Award at this year's Multicultural Leadership Awards and Graduation Celebration.
UW welcomes new Nelson Institute director
April 24, 2012Paul Robbins, the director of the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona, has been named director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Earth Day conference to explore growth, happiness
April 3, 2012Economic growth, consumption, sustainability and happiness will be explored during the sixth annual Nelson Institute Earth Day conference on Monday, April 16, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.
Film festival finds environmental stories in unexpected places
March 7, 2012From Cold War bunkers in Albania to the night skies over Manhattan, Tales from Planet Earth will offer a broad - and often surprising - exploration of the environment.
Office of Sustainability launches at UW–Madison
March 7, 2012The UW–Madison Office of Sustainability, which grew out of the campuswide Sustainability Initiative, will officially launch on Friday, March 9, with an event at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
Nelson Institute awarded UW–Madison’s first S-STEM grant from NSF
March 2, 2012The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies has been awarded UW–Madison's first-ever National Science Foundation S-STEM grant for undergraduate scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Does history repeat? Using the past to improve ecological forecasting
February 20, 2012To better predict the future, Jack Williams is looking to the past.
Proposed hunt poorly designed, says UW wolf expert
February 20, 2012Legislation outlining a proposed state wolf hunt is likely to hurt wolf populations while failing to resolve existing conflicts with humans, says a UW–Madison wolf…
Student sustainability competition a springboard for local development, global solutions
February 15, 2012The contest is in its fourth year and open to all UW–Madison undergraduate and graduate students. Previously known as the Climate Leadership Challenge, the competition has been renamed the Global Stewards Sustainability Prize to reflect a broader focus on real-world solutions to sustainability.
UW–Madison names finalists for Nelson Institute director
February 14, 2012UW-Madison has named three finalists for the director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
John Francis: Silent no more
December 20, 2011Visiting professor John Francis’s journey to the front of the classroom has been filled with twists and turns.
For Midwesterners, more boxcars mean cleaner air
December 8, 2011Shifting a fraction of truck-borne freight onto trains would have an outsized impact on air quality in the Midwest, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Snow in the Rockies, dry summers in the Southwest?
December 6, 2011New simulations of summer rains in the arid American Southwest show that they are influenced by the previous winter's snowpack in the Rocky Mountains.
Increased use of bikes for commuting offers economic, health benefits
November 2, 2011Cutting out short auto trips and replacing them with mass transit and active transport would yield major health benefits, according to a study just published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
UW-Madison to collaborate on new federal Climate Science Center
October 20, 2011The University of Wisconsin–Madison is among several institutions that will collaborate through a new federal Northeast Climate Science Center to study the effects of climate change on ecosystems, wildlife, water and other resources.
Patz discusses environmental health with Dalai Lama, Prime Minister of Bhutan
October 18, 2011For professor Jonathan Patz, who directs the UW–Madison Global Health Institute and holds an appointment in the Nelson Institute, conversations around environmental ethics are an everyday occurrence. It's not every day, however, that he can discuss these issues with the Dalai Lama.
Eleven professors appointed to named professorships
October 6, 2011Eleven distinguished faculty members have received named professorships, some of the highest honors for established faculty.
Excitement builds as environmental studies major opens to students
September 26, 2011The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s new environmental studies major was mentioned in a U.S. News and World Report article that spotlighted nine “hot college majors” from around the nation. The mention of the new major came as students began signing up for the new undergraduate major in environmental studies at UW–Madison.
Irrigation’s impacts on global carbon uptake
August 25, 2011Globally, irrigation increases agricultural productivity by an amount roughly equivalent to the entire agricultural output of the U.S., according to a new University of Wisconsin–Madison study.