Massachusetts is one of the few states in the U.S. that lacks a state climatologist. Michael Rawlins, geosciences and associate director of the Climate System Research Center at UMass Amherst, says he has tried to fill the need on a de facto unpaid basis, but that without a climatologist, “there is no clear point of contact for the public, businesses, educators, and policymakers.”
News from the Media
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Massachusetts Doesn’t Have a State Climatologist. Here’s Why That Matters.
July 10, 2022 -
The Emerald Ash Borer Is Killing Millions of Ash Trees. A New ‘Biological Control’ Races to Save Them.
July 6, 2022Tawny Simisky, Extension Entomologist, was quoted in an article discussing the damaging effects of the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle species whose larvae feed on ash trees.
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Trees Are Trying to Help with Climate Change, but We Need to Let Them
June 30, 2022Richard W. Harper, urban and community forestry, is quoted in an opinion piece appreciating trees and their many positive contributions to our world.
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Humans Tamed the Microbes Behind Cheese, Soy, and More
June 29, 2022Research by John Gibbons, food science, is mentioned in a story on how humans have learned to tame the microbes behind cheese, soy and more
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Is It Safe to Spin-Dry Leafy Greens in a Washing Machine?
June 29, 2022A viral TikTok that shows a user placing home-grown kale into a washing machine to clean the vegetable references research from UMass Amherst, which examined whether the common practice among small farmers is safe.
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Top-Rated Dairy-Free and Vegan Ice Cream
June 28, 2022D. Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor in food science, comments in an article rating dairy-free and vegan ice cream. McClements says no one thinks a bowl of ice cream is a healthy snack and making it vegan really doesn’t change that, but considerable research shows that plant-based foods are better for the environment than animal-based ones.
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Psychologist Focuses on Tackling Climate Change
June 27, 2022Ezra Markowitz, environmental conservation, is interviewed about the psychological and social factors behind individual and group decision-making related to environmental issues.
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Massachusetts Summer Expected to Be Hotter, Wetter Than Average, but as Climatologists Say: ‘Normal Has Changed’
June 27, 2022This summer is expected to be warmer and wetter than average, but Michael Rawlins, geosciences, says, “What we consider normal weather — temperature and precipitation — has been changed. We are in a new normal as a result of increasing greenhouse gases.”
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Geoscientist Colin Cleasom Awarded $2.1M Grant to Create Global Open-Source Sofftware System for Tracking Water and Sediment in Earth’s Rivers
June 27, 2022Colin Gleason, geosciences, has received a $2.1 million grant from NASA to create a cloud-based software system to provide public access to satellite data on Earth’s water quantity and quality.
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Protein from Plant-Based ‘Meat’ May Be Less Well Absorbed by the Body
June 22, 2022David Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor in food science, is quoted in an article about research questioning whether protein from plant-based meat is absorbed as well as real meat protein.
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New Research Shows Climate Change Impacts on Whale Habitat Use in the Warming Gulf of Maine
June 13, 2022There is coverage of a study led by the New England Aquarium that includes researchers from UMass Amherst finding climate change is having an impact on how large whale species, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, use habitats in the warming Gulf of Maine. It shows that right whales’ use of Cape Cod Bay has shifted significantly over the last 20 years.
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Portable Sensor Tech Aims to Quickly Detect Foodborne Contaminants
June 6, 2022An international team led by Matthew Moore, food science, has received a $750,000 USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture partnership grant to develop and test portable, rapid biosensors capable of detecting noroviruses and mycotoxins in foods and agricultural products.
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Making Room for Wildlife: 4 Essential Reads
June 6, 2022A roundup of articles about observing and photographing wildlife includes a 2019 article about black bears by Kathy Zeller, environmental conservation.
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How South Dakota's Inability to Track Soil Erosion is Putting Farmers at Risk
June 3, 2022An article about the dangers that soil erosion may cause farmers in South Dakota cites research led by Isaac Larsen, geosciences, which found that due to agricultural practices the midwestern U.S. has lost 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil, about 35% of its topsoil overall, reducing crop yields and resulting in about $2.8 billion in annual economic losses to the agriculture industry.
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Why Confronting Invasive Species Is One of the Best Ways to Prepare for Climate Change
June 1, 2022New UMass Amherst-led research, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that the ecological effect of invasive species alone is comparable to the combined effects of invasives plus warming temperatures, drought or nitrogen deposition. This suggests that a critical preparation for climate change is to manage invasive species at the local level.
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Kestrel Land Trust Raising $5 Million to Conserve 5,000 Acres of Undeveloped Land
May 23, 2022Scott Jackson, environmental conservation and a member of the Kestrel Land Trust board of trustees, is quoted about the trust unveiling its $5 million fundraising campaign to conserve as much as 5,000 acres of undeveloped land in Western Massachusetts.
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Poison Ivy In MA Is Emerging Now: How To Avoid The Rash
May 19, 2022Tips from UMass Extension about how to spot poison ivy and how to identify snakes are cited in news articles about safely enjoying the outdoors in spring and summer.
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Bagworm Moths Build Tiny Houses and Take Them on the Road
May 16, 2022Tawny Simisky, Extension entomologist, is quoted in an article about bagworm moths' creation of tiny movable homes.
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This Fermented Meat Alternative Could Help Halve Global Deforestation Rates
May 11, 2022Lutz Grossman, food science, is quoted in an article about the prospects of fermentation-derived microbial protein becoming a viable alternative to meat in our diets as a way to slow global deforestation rates and biodiversity loss.
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Annual Holyoke Farm Festival Promotes Urban Farming
May 10, 2022The annual Holyoke Farm Festival, a day devoted to promoting urban farming, is scheduled for May 21. The event is and co-sponsored by UMass Amherst Extension.
