A floating mass of plastic has grown to twice the size of Texas

Imagine a floating mass of plastic twice the size of Texas spanning thousands of miles in the open ocean. Now realize that actually exists. Located between Hawaii and California and stretching all the way to Japan, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest floating ocean garbage site in the world, with plastic pieces outnumbering sea life six to one. And that’s not the only garbage disposal on the planet – there are four more gyres in the oceans where plastic pollution collects in large quantities.

Restore Washington Park Arboretum for Earth Day

The UW Botanic Gardens and the Student Conservation Association have teamed up to host a work party at the Washington Park Arboretum on Saturday, April 23.

Individuals and groups from UW are invited to join us for this opportunity to dig in and help support the health of our planet. Come get your hands dirty and celebrate Earth Day with us - the first 400 volunteers to register will also receive free lunch and t-shirts!

Register now

UW professor takes us through Seattle’s environmental past

Hundreds of guests gathered in Kane Hall’s gigantic auditorium last week, waiting patiently for UW history professor Linda Nash to present a lecture on Seattle’s environmental past. 

“Tonight, I want to propose a different way of looking at Seattle’s history,” she began. “My goal here is to emphasize that our city is not an isolated entity, but is itself a product of connection.”

Sqwatch's Secret #7: Buy Local

You already know that cutting down on purchasing helps the environment, but sometimes you can't help it. In those cases, where you decide to shop can have a major impact on your local economy and the environment.

Buying locally helps reduce processing, packaging and transportation waste – all leading to less pollution. Plus, local businesses put more of that money back into the local economy.