| Page 29 | Arizona Environment

News

Sunrise shot of the Tucson area from the roof of the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building (BIO5 Institute)

Celebrated for its vast natural beauty, wild rivers, iconic landscapes, and old-growth forests, the western United States is also central to some of our nation’s most critical environmental issues, including drought, wildfire, urban sprawl, and natural and cultural resource management. Learn how our research provides solutions to environmental challenges for the Desert Southwest, and beyond.

View By Theme

Dog ticks may get more of a taste for human blood as the climate changes

An experiment suggests potential for greater spread of tick-borne illness as temperatures rise

Environment & Public Health

Wastewater testing could offer clues about COVID-19 infections

What most see only as sewage, Daniel Gerrity sees as an opportunity to collect data.

Environment & Public Health

Canadian researchers turn to wastewater tests at long-term care homes to detect COVID hot spots

'It could be like a smoke detector,' said Ottawa researcher Robert Delatolla

How Hotter Weather, Drier Monsoon Seasons Affect Forests

Wildfires have burned more than 950,000 acres across Arizona so far this year, according to the State Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Applied Carbon Science & Management

Major changes in environmental policy expected under Biden

Reclassifying Arizona waterways is among the items on the new administration's agenda

Environment & Public Health

Watching What We Flush Could Help Keep a Pandemic Under Control

The failure to control the coronavirus pandemic has in many ways been a failure of real-time health data.

Environment & Public Health

Testing sewage can give school districts, campuses and businesses a heads-up on the spread of COVID-19

November has brought encouraging news about several COVID-19 vaccines. But members of the general public will probably not be vaccinated before the spring or summer of 2021 at the earliest. Americans will be living with this pandemic for some time to come.

Food Systems

Plant-Based Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Week, Wildcats! It’s no secret that as populations and incomes increase around the world, agriculture and other food systems have been working hard to feed the world’s people. However, some food industries (specifically meat processing industries) have huge carbon footprints and emit carbon into the atmosphere at alarming rates. In fact, In fact, Diana Liverman, director of the School of Geography & Development, states that "people think about controlling greenhouse gas emissions, they usually think of fossil use, like having fewer coal-powered plants, or driving more fuel-efficient cars, but not many realize that the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions". Because pressure has been put on the United States and other countries to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, these food production practices must change -- and we can start this week!

A Desert City Tries to Save Itself With Rain

Tucson, Arizona, is giving residents financial incentives to harvest their rainwater as the desert city works to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Climate Science, Adaptation & Resilience Solutions

$3M Grant Helps Students Bridge Sciences to Solve the World's Biggest Problems

A grant from the National Science Foundation will help the University of Arizona train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists who can "scale across genes to ecosystems" to understand how wild and agricultural systems function and respond to change.