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Are you interested in vertical farming as a future food production system? Summary of the article titled Future food-production systems: Vertical farming and controlled-environment agriculture from 2017 by Kurt Benke and Bruce Tomkins, published in the Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Nadun Hennayaka in episode 278 talking about urban food production systems and vertical farming. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can produce food in cities with growing populations. This article presents the opportunities and challenges of the vertical farm strategy. As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects: Despite high startup costs, vertical farming offers a sustainable solution for feeding a growing global population while mitigating the effects of climate change. Vertical farming maximizes land use by growing crops in vertically stacked layers within controlled environments, addressing the challenges of urbanization and resource scarcity. This method enhances food security by enabling year-round production, reducing water usage, and minimizing environmental impact through technologies like LED lighting and hydroponics. You can find the article through this link. Abstract: The unremitting trends of increasing population, urbanization, diminishing water supply, and continuing climate change have contributed to declining stocks of arable land per person. As land resources for agriculture decrease, policy makers are faced with the challenge of sustainability and feeding the rapidly growing world population which is projected to reach approximately 9.7 billion in 2050. Solutions for improving future food production are exemplified by urban vertical farming which involves much greater use of technology and automation for land-use optimization. The vertical farm strategy aims to significantly increase productivity and reduce the environmental footprint within a framework of urban, indoor, climate-controlled high-rise buildings. It is claimed that such facilities offer many potential advantages as a clean and green source of food, along with biosecurity, freedom from pests, droughts, and reduced use of transportation and fossil fuels. In this article, the issues involved are evaluated together with potential advantages and disadvantages. Possible implications are identified for consideration by policy makers and to facilitate further economic analysis. Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.219R - Why bees are critical for achieving sustainable development No.220 - Interview with Simon Burt about urban farming with bees No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about new technologies in food production No.238 - Interview with Paul Bevan about cultivated meat production You can find the transcript through this link. What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Episode 109: Zeit für einen kulturellen Austausch bei Karriere leupht!! Helena spricht mit Omotunde Kasali, der als Manager bei Germany Trade and Invest in Berlin arbeitet. Nach seinem Bachelor in Biochemie an der Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, hat sich Tunde dazu entschieden, seinen akademischen Weg in Deutschland fortzusetzen und Sustainability Science in Lüneburg studiert. Was erfüllt Tunde am meisten in seiner Arbeit? Wie schafft er Formen der kulturelle Annäherung und des kulturellen Austausches? Was hat ihm das Ankommen in Deutschland erleichtert? Hört herein und findet es heraus – in der wohl bisher internationalsten leuphana story. Moderiert wird diese Episode von: Helena Minner Weitere Links und Informationen findet ihr unter: https://podcast.leuphana.de/karriere-leupht-als-manager-bei-germany-trade-and-invest/ Kapitelmarken: 00:00 Karriere leupht mit Omotunde Kasali 01:12 Einstiegsfrage: Berufseinstieg als Kind 02:23 Germany Trade And Invest 05:27 kultureller Austausch auf Augenhöhe 07:14 Tundes Arbeitsalltag 08:42 Herausforderungen 13:10 Begeisterung 15:18 Schlüsselmomente 17:29 Berufseinstieg & Motivation 21:29 Toastmasters 25:41 Von Lagos nach Lüneburg 27:57 Begeisterung für Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften 30:00 Gelerntes in die Arbeit integrieren 34:10 über das Ankommen 38:02 Was Tunde an Nigeria vermisst hat 39:36 Leuphana African Students Organization 41:42 Tundes Nigeria, Tundes Lagos 45:11 persönliche Entwicklung 47:33 Tundes Tipps Eine Produktion der Universitätskommunikation der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg.
In this episode of 'The Wisdom Of' Show, host Simon Bowen engages in an enlightening conversation with Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, a sustainability scientist and author. They discuss the urgent need for climate action, the role of individuals and businesses in addressing the climate crisis, and how to maintain hope while facing global challenges.
In 2015, 196 countries signed the Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty with the goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.Since then, climate planning has increasingly revolved around overshooting this target, with the hope that temperature levels can be brought back down in later decades. Temperature overshoot models are now the default, but also a cause of scientific concern, as the devastating impacts of crossing this threshold may not be reversible. In their new book Overshoot: How the World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown, Andreas Malm and Wim Carton study this risky approach to policy, and the economic interests that they theorise have led to it. Alasdair spoke to them both about the new book. Andreas Malm is Associate Professor of Human Ecology at Lund University, and the celebrated author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, among other works. Wim Carton is Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund University, and the author of over 20 academic articles and book chapters on climate politics.Further reading: Buy Overshoot from Verso Books'The overshoot myth: you can't keep burning fossil fuels and expect scientists of the future to get us back to 1.5°C', The Conversation, August 2024'Why Carbon Capture and Storage matters: overshoot, models, and money', Land & Climate Review, 2022'What does the IPCC say about carbon removal?', Land & Climate Review, 2022'Global warming overshoots increase risks of climate tipping cascades in a network model', Nature Climate Change, 2022'Overshooting tipping point thresholds in a changing climate', Nature Climate Change, 2021'Carbon Unicorns and Fossil Futures: Whose Emission Reduction Pathways Is the IPCC Performing?', in Has It Come to This? The Promises and Perils of Geoengineering on the Brink, 2020How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Learning to Fight in a World on Fire, Verso Books, 2020Click here to read our investigation into the UK biomass supply chain, or watch a clip from the BBC Newsnight documentary.
How might cultivating local relationships with humans and the more-than-human contribute to overall planetary health?In this episode, I speak with Pim Martens. Pim has a PhD in applied mathematics and biological sciences. He is a professor of Planetary Health and dean of Maastricht University College Venlo. Pim has been a professor of Sustainable Development for 18 years and is currently the project leader and principal investigator of several projects related to planetary health, sustainability science and education, and human-animal-nature relationships. Pim Martens is a scientist and founder of AnimalWise, a “think and do tank” integrating scientific knowledge and animal advocacy to bring about sustainable change in our relationship with animals. Furthermore, he was the founding Director of the Maastricht University Graduate School of Sustainability Science (MUST) and initiated the M.Sc. program in Sustainability Science and Policy. We discuss:
Are humans part of nature or separate from it? How do we define native species, and should we always strive to eradicate invasive ones? Can urban green spaces play a role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss? And what is the Anthropocene anyway? These are only some of the questions I discussed with Dr. Marcus Collier, an Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Trinity College Dublin. His expertise in nature-based solutions gives us a new perspective on answering these complex questions and a fresh approach to environmental issues.In this episode, we talk about the fascinating world of novel ecosystems. We explore the complex relationship between humans and nature while challenging traditional notions of ecosystem restoration and conservation. I asked Marcus to clarify the concept of the Anthropocene and its implications for our understanding of the human impact on the environment. We also didn't shy away from the controversies surrounding invasive species and ecological restoration practices. Marcus shares his insights on how our perception of time and history influences our approach to ecosystem management and highlights the challenges of defining a "natural" state in an ever-changing world.Then our conversation shifts to cultural landscapes and urban environments, highlighting the importance of nature-based solutions in cities. Marcus emphasises the benefits of urban greening initiatives, from improved air quality to enhanced mental health, while acknowledging potential drawbacks like gentrification. He advocates for a multifaceted approach to environmental challenges, emphasising the need for both technological and nature-based solutions for issues such as water quality and climate change.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Recommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/booksMerch: tommysoutdoors.com/shopFollow Tommy's Outdoors on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook
Sustainability science, which includes conservation biology and various other environmental studies, is not a “hard science” like physics or mathematics. Nevertheless, one might expect it to be reasonably independent of political affiliation. But is this the case? If not, what is the problem with leaning too far in one political direction, especially if that direction is left and generally considered to be “pro environment”? If it is a problem, what can we do about it?Örjan Bodin is a sustainability scientist at the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, who has thought a lot about this topic and published a recent paper on it. Örjan is quick to point out that he has not formally studied political polarization. However, with decades of research experience in sustainability science, he provides some compelling reasons why we should pay attention to this overlooked but potentially highly consequential issue.Links to resourcesHas sustainability science turned left? - Örjan's article in the journal, Sustainability Science.Visit www.case4conservation.com
We all depend on Planet Earth for life and yet as a species, our collective actions are having devastating impacts such as a loss of biodiversity and climate change, among other things. It's literally the definition of insanity, says Lisen Schultz, Associate Professor in Sustainability Science, Deputy Director for the Stockholm Resilience Center, University of Stockholm, Director of Education, and the Programme Director for the center's executive programme in resilience thinking. We humans aren't evil, our problem is we don't see what we're doing as damaging, nor can we see how we could do it differently. Our world is built around a formula of growth, rather than meaningful growth. In this episode of Corporate Unplugged, Lisen discusses the urgency of the climate change challenge, but also the potential opportunities it presents for us individually, as well as for companies, but, in a way that doesn't create a whole new set of problems. To find out more, download and listen to this fascinating conversation. On today's podcast:Climate change impact and human warmingSustainable business practices Sustainability transition and its benefits for societyClimate action and hope for the future Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, we are learning from Jennifer Hinton. Jennifer is a systems researcher and activist in the field of sustainable economy. Her work focuses on how societies relate to profit and how this relationship affects global sustainability challenges. She developed relationship-to-profit theory, which explains how key aspects of business and markets drive social and ecological sustainability outcomes. She started developing this theory in the book How on Earth, which outlines a conceptual model of a not-for-profit market economy – the Not-for-Profit World model. She holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from Stockholm University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Clermont Auvergne. As an activist, she collaborates with civil society organizations, businesses, and policymakers to transform the economy so that it can work for everyone within the ecological limits of the planet. Let's get started... In this conversation with Jennifer, I learned: 0:00 Intro 04:45 Going to China and being confronted with environmental problems or sustainability issues. 07:50 Kept bumping into the tension between the environment and the economy. 09:10 Not-for-profit-business model. 11:15 Wake up moments by bumping into the harsh reality. 13:20 Spreading these wake-up moments as far and wide as you can and holding space for discussions. 16:55 Go for the low-hanging fruit—people who are on the fringes. 24:15 In complex systems change tends to happen in a non-linear way. 27:15 A smaller economy would be better for most people. 31:05 Difference between non-profit and not-for-profit-business. 32:25 Why non-profits are moving into the business space. 34:10 Not-for-profit businesses that did not continue. 36:30 The banking system has to go not-for-profit. 37:10 Examples of not-for-profit banks. 39:55 Who is going to be the factory of the world? 41:00 We have to redistribute the wealth that has been accumulated. 46:10 People from Europe who get job offers from the US with a high salary. 47:10 Money and consumption don't equal well-being. 49:20 A more not-for-profit economy allows for re-localization. 54:00 The not-for-profit market and the state can work together so that everybody's needs are met without destroying the environment. 55:00 The EU is funding projects that research degrowth. More about Jennifer Hinton: https://www.relationship-to-profit.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-hinton-758a544 Books: Relationship-to-Profit: A Theory of Business, Markets, and Profit for Social Ecological Economics (jan 2021) How on Earth: Flourishing in a Not-for-Profit World by 2050 (aug 2016) Other resources: Prosperity without growth - Tim Jackson The WellBeing Economy Alliance Sweden - The WellBeing Economy Allience Nederland Ideas for a grown-up economy – Katherine Trebeck The crisis of democratic capitalism - Martin Wolf Inner Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals Video of the conversation with Jennifer Hinton https://youtu.be/IfeKIs03cJ4 Watch here https://youtu.be/IfeKIs03cJ4
In this episode we interviewed Dr. Emily Carter, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (ACEE), and Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton University. She is also a member of the executive management team at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), serving as Senior Strategic Advisor and Associate Laboratory Director for Applied Materials and Sustainability Sciences.
This week on Truth to Power, we bring you an important conversation about how our city can best respond locally to the global crisis of climate chaos. Forward Radio was the only media outlet to cover the 2023 Louisville Sustainability Summit - Livable Louisville: Addressing local climate risks through planning and design, that was held on Tuesday, Oct 17th, from 12:30 - 5:00pm at Louisville Visual Art, 1538 Lytle St. On today's program, we listen back to a fantastic Panel entitled “Global Crisis, Local Response.” As the number of dangerous heat days, periods of drought, risk of flooding, and wildfires increase throughout the state, city leaders grapple with how to improve community resilience and quality of life. Our moderator and panelists identify Louisville-specific climate risks and key strategies for addressing these issues and to improve the livability of Louisville. Speakers include: - Moderator, Allison Smith is a Project Manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. She holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Louisville where she studied aquatic ecology. Her dissertation investigated climate change effects on freshwater foodwebs including zooplankton and freshwater jellyfish in lakes and the Ohio River. After graduating, she took a post-doctoral research position at the Center for Environmental Policy and Management and worked on brownfields remediation, environmental justice, and housing policy. In October 2015, she joined Louisville Metro Government as the Brownfields Program Manager. In 2020, she became the Assistant Director of the Office of Advanced Planning and Sustainability where she oversaw all climate change and sustainability initiatives for the city. In 2022, she joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as a Project Manager where she provides technical assistance on energy transitions to states, local governments, and Tribes in the Accelerated Deployment and Decision Support Center. - Sumedha Rao is the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability. She is committed to catalyzing robust, inclusive, and collaborative solutions for a greener Louisville! Sumedha has a background in urban sustainability, environmental policy, and green building in the United States and India. In 2022, Sumedha was named a Future Leader by the Aspen Institute, among 100 climate leaders in North America under the age of 30. Sumedha holds a master's degree in Sustainability Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. - Brooke Pardue is the President & CEO of the Parks Alliance of Louisville, a nonprofit supporting more than 100 of our public parks and recreation centers, two-thirds of which are located in underserved neighborhoods. She believes public parks are powerful green infrastructure that strengthen communities, improve health and the environment, and spur economic revitalization. - Patrick Piuma is the Director of the Urban Design Studio at the University of Louisville Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. For more than 15 years he has been driven to improve the quality of place through the development of programs and projects that activate and pre-vitalize underutilized spaces. He has a particular focus on exploring ways to integrate nature into cities, understanding how the design and function of cities impacts health, and engaging the community with the goal to rebuilding the fragmented urban fabric of cities. Over the past seven years, Patrick has also worked as an urban designer for Hyphae Design Lab out of Oakland, California, YARD & Company out of Cincinnati, and the Louisville Downtown Partnership. Learn more at http://louisvillesustainabilitycouncil.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com
Professor Mark Reed is an academic, author, podcaster, consultant, trainer, policy advisor among his many roles. His research area is on ecosystem markets and environmental governance, and he studies how researchers can generate and share their knowledge so they can change the world. Reflecting both of these strands, he is both an academic, co-directing a research Centre at Scotland's Rural College, and he is the founder of Fast Track Impact, a training and coaching company, and he hosts The Fast Track Impact podcast. He also has a host of other roles you can read about on his web page. We discuss the concept of 'impact' in academia, the challenges of mental health and burnout amongst academics, and the importance of self-compassion, self-reflection and self-care. Driven by a desire to make a difference, Mark intertwines his academic inquiries with a commitment to environmental stewardship and decolonizing research. He also talks about his commitment to empowering colleagues, managing postdocs efficiently, and his take on the biases and limitations within the academic system.Overview00:05 Introduction00:30 Meet Professor Mark Reed: A Multi-faceted Academic01:18 The Importance of Self-Reflection in Academia01:56 Mark's Personal Struggles and the Importance of Self-Compassion02:07 The Role of Purpose and Values in Mark's Work02:56 Mark's Journey as an Academic and Policy Advisor07:23 The Challenges and Biases in the Academic System08:32 Building a Compassionate Culture in Academia11:33 Decolonizing Research and Influencing Policy27:11 The Role of Empathy and Love in Research32:13 The Importance of Self-Care and Work-Life Balance in Academia48:05 Creating a Purposeful Workplace and Leading from the Bottom Up51:24 Conclusion: The Impact of Love and Empathy in Academia52:56 EndListen here for a version to follow the transcript linked directly to the audioRelated LinksMark's research web page & Fast Track Impact pageMark's books: https://www.fasttrackimpact.com/books#impact-cultureThe Research Impact Handbook 2nd Ed 2018The Productive Researcher 2017Impact Culture 2022 Mark's ‘The Fast Track Impact' podcast seriesMark Reed & Hanna Rudman, Re-thinking research impact: voice, context and power at the interface of science, policy and practice, 18, Sustainability Science, 967-981, 2023.Richard Watermeyer's 2019 book:
Are you interested in where the three pillars of sustainability came from? Summary of the article titled Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins from 2018 by Ben Purvis, Yong Mao and Darren Robinson, published in the Sustainability Science journal. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the three pillars of sustainability – social, economic and environment – came about. This article investigates the origins of sustainability and the gradual emergence of these pillars due to critics. As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects: Sustainable ideas have been emerging since the 17th century but gained more aspects during the 20th century to include economic, environmental and social aspects and economic growth can be a solution to environmental and social challenges. Sustainable development was clearly defined in the 1987 Brundtland report as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Even though the origins of the three pillars are unclear, each of them is vital for sustainability and a clear understanding is crucial for proper implementation and decreased political nature. You can find the article through this link. Abstract: The three-pillar conception of (social, economic and environmental) sustainability, commonly represented by three intersecting circles with overall sustainability at the centre, has become ubiquitous. With a view of identifying the genesis and theoretical foundations of this conception, this paper reviews and discusses relevant historical sustainability literature. From this we find that there is no single point of origin of this three-pillar conception, but rather a gradual emergence from various critiques in the early academic literature of the economic status quo from both social and ecological perspectives on the one hand, and the quest to reconcile economic growth as a solution to social and ecological problems on the part of the United Nations on the other. The popular three circles diagram appears to have been first presented by Barbier (Environ Conserv 14:101, doi: 10.1017/s0376892900011449, 1987), albeit purposed towards developing nations with foci which differ from modern interpretations. The conceptualisation of three pillars seems to predate this, however. Nowhere have we found a theoretically rigorous description of the three pillars. This is thought to be in part due to the nature of the sustainability discourse arising from broadly different schools of thought historically. The absence of such a theoretically solid conception frustrates approaches towards a theoretically rigorous operationalisation of ‘sustainability'. Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.008R - What are the differences between sustainable and smart cities?; No.036 - Interview with Magnus Moglia about urban regeneration and sustainability; You can find the transcript through this link. What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
SummaryEnvironmental activism, environmental justice and equity concerns: what, if anything, is challenging about holding all of these three concerns at the same time?Can a better integration or balance be achieved between these 3 concerns?To what extent is radical activism cyclical in nature because it is hard to keep activists motivated for peak public mobilization moments?In this NGO Soul+Strategy podcast episode, I interview Aseem Prakash, Professor of Political Science and Founding Director at the Center on Environmental Politics at the University of Washington, Seattle (USA) on climate change activism by nonprofits and social movements. Aseem does much of his research together with Nives Dolsak, also a Professor at the University of Washington. Aseem's Bio:Professor of Political Science; Walker Family Professor; Director, Center for Environmental Politics at the University of Washington, SeattleFormer Assistant Professor in Strategic Management and Public Policy at the George Washington University in Washington DCObtained his Ph.D. at the Dept of Political Science and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana UniversityMBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, IndiaNives' Bio:Nives Dolsak is Professor in Sustainability Science and Director of the School of Marine & Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington, Seattle, USAVisiting professor at the University of Ljubljana, SloveniaWe discuss: Is environmental activism still guilty of white elitism? To what extent is a concern for environmental degradation, including climate change, still primarily a concern for citizens only once their material needs are met? Is the focus on environmental justice making a difference in this regard?There are few climate deniers anymore – even in the US: it is more a conflict over what instruments or ways of fighting climate change to use, not a conflict anymore over the goals themselves. Who carries most of the burden of energy policy implications coming out of climate change mitigation needs? Who loses and who wins across rural/urban areas, class, and race? Who pays for the costs of mitigation, and who gets the benefits? These are equity concernsClimate change contention and the surge of populism across the world are closely linked since class and location or place (rural vs. urban concerns) are intertwinedWhat are the merits of outsider strategies – a la Extinction Rebellion and Sunrise Movement vis-a-vis insider strategies (Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace (partially) etc.?‘Radical', disruptive activism can have several benefits while it can also antagonize or turn away broader publics (see the radical flank argument)Museum vandalism to draw attention to the climate crisis is primarily a European tactic and surged in 2022; it seems to have died down so far in 2023. Resources:Aseem's WebsiteAseem's LinkedIn ProfileExample of a article by Aseem and Nivek for broader audiences: HERETheir article on South Africa and coal: HERETheir article on the Thacker pass mine in Nevada/USA and corresponding public support:
Torsten Krause is a senior lecturer at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies. He holds a Bachelor (BSc) in International Business Administration from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany and the Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Montpellier, France; and a Masters degree (MSc) in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University. From 2009 to 2013 he conducted his PhD research in the Ecuadorian Amazon studying the social-ecological and economic effects of a national conservation incentive program. Since then he has continued to work with topics around environmental activism, forest governance, deforestation, biodiversity, conservation and sustainable development in Ecuador, Colombia, Nigeria and South Africa. We met at Lund university the 17th of April to talk about activism, how biodiversity loss is linked to the climate crises and many other topics. Please enjoy!
A number of activist groups, mostly from developing nations already facing the realities of a changing climate, are taking a new legal approach to climate action. They are arguing that climate change cases are human rights cases and in doing so are wading into unprecedented legal waters. We speak with three scholars about current legal cases tying climate change and human rights together, what these cases might mean for the climate movement and how human rights law can produce real change on the ground.Featuring Niak Sian Koh, postdoctoral researcher in Sustainability Science at the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University in Sweden; Zoe Nay, PhD candidate with Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, Australia; and Jackie Smith, professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, in the US. This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.Further reading: Biodiversity: one way to help countries stick to their commitments to restore natureThe UN is asking the International Court of Justice for its opinion on states' climate obligations. What does this mean? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, catches up with Sumedha Rao, who has recently been appointed Director of Louisville Metro Government's Office of Sustainability. When Mayor Greenberg set up his new administration, he elevated the Office of Sustainability back into the Mayor's office, reporting through Deputy Mayor Barbara Sexton-Smith. Listen in to hear about the progress being made in sustainability across Metro Government and the city as a whole! Sumedha has a background in urban sustainability, environmental policy, and green building in the United States and India. In 2022, Sumedha was named a Future Leader by the Aspen Institute, among 100 climate leaders in North America under the age of 30. Sumedha holds a master's degree in Sustainability Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from St. Joseph's College in India, and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED AP, accreditation. Learn more at http://louisvilleky.gov/sustainability Find out about Solar Over Louisville at http://100percentlou.com/2040 Listen to the April 21, 2023 Mayor's Earth Day Town Hall at https://soundcloud.com/wfmp-forward-radio/truth-to-power-mayors-earth-day-town-hall-april-21-2023?in=wfmp-forward-radio/sets/truth-to-power As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com
For today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Brenda Lin from CSIRO Land and Water in Australia, and Dr. Erik Andersson, Professor of Sustainability Science with University of Helsinki and Stockholm University. We discussed their BioScience article on green spaces, particularly in urban areas, and the ways that different groups use those spaces. We also chatted about how planning can be used to achieve urban green spaces that are equitably used and a valuable part of the urban landscape. A captioned version can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jUCk6ghBoLU
Professor Pankaj Jain shares examples from key Dharmic and Yogic texts and contexts from which Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists continue to derive their inspiration. Evidently, in Yogic and Dharmic contexts, religion, ethics, and environmentalism are intertwined with each other instead of distinctly evolved theories. About the Theme: In the West, the current paradigm of wishing to establish ecological balance via education, public policy, advocacy, and law enforcement has a serious deficit, i.e., how to do it. The Indic way is to provide the HOWTOs to accomplish an environment-friendly society. Yoga practice can go a long way for the benefit of ecology. Thus, a paradigm shift is needed from a top-down enforcement approach to bottom-up individual practice where Yoga can facilitate the praxis necessary for establishing ecological balance. About the Author: Pankaj Jain is a Philosophy, Religious Studies, Film Studies, Sustainability, and Diaspora Studies, Professor. He has authored three books and has co-edited the Hinduism Section of the Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. His articles have appeared in multiple academic journals and popular websites. Academic Works: Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability Science and Socio-Religious Revolution in India: Moving the Mountains Dharma in America: A Short History of Hindu-Jain Diaspora Edited volume: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions- Hinduism and Tribal Religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pankaj-jain/support
Professor Jon Erickson is an ecological economist and advisor to policymakers including Senator Bernie Sanders. In his new book The Progress Illusion, he criticizes what he calls “the fairytale of economics” and argues we are failing “to design an economy that is socially just and ecologically balanced.” Show host Gene Tunny discusses Prof. Erickson's new book with him in this episode of Economics Explored. Please get in touch with any questions, comments and suggestions by emailing us at contact@economicsexplored.com or sending a voice message via https://www.speakpipe.com/economicsexplored. About this episode's guest: Jon EricksonJon D. Erickson is the Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at the University of Vermont, faculty member of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, and Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment. His previous co-authored and edited books include Sustainable Wellbeing Futures, The Great Experiment in Conservation, Ecological Economics of Sustainable Watershed Management, Frontiers in Ecological Economic Theory and Application, and Ecological Economics: a Workbook for Problem-Based Learning. He is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Iceland, and has been a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania, Assistant Professor of Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and visiting professor in the Dominican Republic, Norway, Germany, and Slovakia. Outside of the university, he is an Emmy-award winning producer and director of documentary films, co-founder and board member of numerous non-profit organizations, past-President of the US Society for Ecological Economics, and advisor to state and national policymakers. Jon lives in Ferrisburgh, Vermont with his wife Pat, their occasionally visiting sons Louis and Jon, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and donkeys.Links relevant to the conversationYou can buy The Progress Illusion and if you listen to the episode Jon will reveal a discount code:https://islandpress.org/books/progress-illusionCreditsThanks to Josh Crotts for mixing the episode and to the show's sponsor, Gene's consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au. Please consider signing up to receive our email updates and to access our e-book Top Ten Insights from Economics at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.
On this episode, Nate is joined by Sustainability Science and Policy Professor Jon Erickson. He and Nate dive into Jon's new book The Progress Illusion: Reclaiming our Future from the Fairytale of Economics, which covers the economic myths that have shaped our modern reality. How can we reshape the narrative and shift the paradigm towards different economic systems that promote human and ecological well-being over material consumption? About Jon Erickson: Jon Erickson is the David Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy at the University of Vermont. He has published widely on energy and climate change policy, land conservation, watershed planning, environmental public health, and the theory and practice of ecological economics. He advised presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on economics and energy issues.
Are you interested in sustainable solutions but unsure about their economic benefits? Summary of the article titled The costs ad benefits of environmental sustainability from 2021 by Paul Ekins and Dimitri Zenghelis, published in the Sustainability Science journal. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the sustainable solutions compare to their financial investments. This article presents that no conventional cost-benefit analysis is appropriate in this case because it can understate the longterm benefits of sustainable solutions. As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects: Starting early by credibly steering expectations, inducing innovation and directing investment is in all cases better than delay because ‘grow now and clean up later' is the second highest cost option, only the existential costs of never cleaning up are higher. There are three broad environmental strategies to deliver sustainable economies: decarbonisation to reduce the level of global warming, detoxification to reduce the emissions or impacts of other pollutants, and dematerialisation to reduce the environmental impacts associated with resource extraction, conversion, and processing. A cost-effective low-carbon, resource-efficient transition can generate a cleaner, quieter, more secure, innovative, and productive economy for all countries at all stages of development. You can find the article through this link. You can find the transcript through this link. What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in landscape sustainability science and its application? Summary of the editorial article titled Advancing landscape sustainability science: theoretical foundation and synergies with innovation in methodology, design and application from 2020 by Chuan Liao, Jiangxiao Qiu, Bin Chen, Deliang Chen, Bojie Fu, Matei Georgescu, Bhunyang He, G. Darrel Jenerette, Xia Li, Xiaoyan Li, Xin Li, Bading Qiuying, Peijun Shi, and Janguo Wu, published in the Landscape Ecology journal. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how landscape sustainability science as a place-based, use-inspired science can improve the dynamic relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being. This article presents the theoretical foundation of landscape sustainability science, discusses recent innovations and examines the applications to address sustainability challenges. As the most important things, I would like to highlight three aspects: Landscape sustainability science is rooted in sustainability science, resilience, landscape ecology, and many others to bring sustainability to the practice with various innovations such as modelling and scenario investigations. Landscape design – as any intentional configuration of landscape compositions for providing ecosystem services and meeting societal needs – provides a platform for scientists and stakeholders to apply scientific knowledge to support decision-making on landscape change. The strong sustainability perspective suggests that long-term regional sustainability can only be achieved by integrating context-based sustainability in urban, agricultural and natural landscapes to minimize the regional ecological footprint. You can find the article through this link. Abstract: Our society has entered in an era of Anthropocene, in which people and their activities dominate almost all ecosystems on the planet. In the context of growing uncertainties, landscape sustainability science (LSS), as a place-based, use-inspired science, aims to understand and improve the dynamic relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being. In this editorial, we identify the major theoretical foundations of LSS, discuss recent innovations in research methodology to advance LSS, summarize the extension of LSS through landscape design and geo-design, and examine the application of LSS for addressing sustainability challenges across multiple landscapes. We highlight that long-term regional sustainability can only be achieved by integrating context-based sustainability across agricultural, urban, and natural landscapes so as to minimize the regional ecological footprint and make advancement towards achieving the sustainable development goals. You can find the transcript through this link. What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
We explore a different way of thinking, about how business fits into our society and economy. Jennifer Hinton is a systems researcher and activist in the field of sustainable economy. Her work focuses on how societies relate to profit and how that relationship affects global sustainability challenges. Jennifer started developing this theory in the book How on Earth, which outlines a conceptual model of a not-for-profit market economy – the Not-for-Profit World model. As an activist, Jennifer collaborates with civil society organizations, businesses, and policy makers to transform the economy so that it can work for everyone within the ecological limits of the planet. Jennifer holds a double PhD in Economics and Sustainability Science, and is a researcher at Lund University and a senior research fellow at the Schumacher Institute.
Hear from professor of sustainability science at the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science and coordinating lead author of the IPBES Values Assessment, Christopher Raymond, on monetary and non-monetary values, biocentric and anthropocentric views, the importance of nature based solutions, co-benefits, indigenous perspectives and moving away from a neoliberalisation of nature. IPES Values Assessment Video https://vimeo.com/735690263 We would like to acknowledge the University of Adelaide's: School of Social Sciences Institute for Sustainability Energy and Resources Environment Institute Prof Christopher Raymond Biography: Prof Raymond is Professor of Sustainability Science (Sustainability Transformations and Ecosystem Services) at the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Finland. He is jointly based at the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, and the Department of Economics and Management in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. His research interests include sense of place; nature-based solutions; the social valuation of nature; and the conservation of biodiversity. Since 2018, Prof. Raymond has been Coordinating Lead Author (Chapter 2) of the IPBES Values Assessment.
This insight episode comes from full episode sixty, Stefan's conversation with Emily Boyd. Emily is the Director of Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies and Professor in Sustainability Science, as well as a leading social scientist with a background in international development, environment, and climate change. Stefan and Emily talk about the benefits and challenges of an interdisciplinary education and approach to sustainability issues, specifically how to communicate and work with people from different fields, as well as how universities can work to support interdisciplinary training. Emily Boyd is also an author for the IPCC, IPBES, and UKCCRA and is an Earth System Governance Senior Fellow. https://www.lucsus.lu.se/emily-boyd https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=CatOY9oAAAAJ&hl=de&oi=ao In Common Website: https://www.incommonpodcast.org Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/InCommonPod Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/incommonpodcast
Today, we are taking about sustainability in the fashion industry with special guest, Stefanie Barkman. Stefanie has over a decade of experience working in the fashion industry, and is now an entrepreneur and founder of TrvlPorter. Passionate about the social and environmental impact of fashion brands, she has focused on sustainability and is going back for her master's in Sustainability Science.On this episode, we talk with Stefanie about fast fashion's impact on the environment, greenwashing, sustainable brand practices, and practical tips for how we can make better choices as consumers. We learn that from rental clothing to buying carbon offsets, there are many different ways we can make decisions that positively impact the environment. With Stefanie's recommendations for sustainable brands, as well as a list of resources we can access to help us navigate better buying habits, I'm confident making this change is more doable than we might think.As always, I'm right here learning with you, so let's do our part to move towards a more sustainable future, together.For more on Stefanie Barkman, follow her on IG @stef.barkman, and @trvlporterTo connect, follow along on IG @sociallymisguidedpodcast.BRANDSAllbirds, Patagonia, Tentree (b - certified), Vetta capsule, whimsey + row, Boyish, Madewell, Outerknown, Christy DawnRESALEPoshmark, ThredupRESOURCES:https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corpGood on you (App)Shop (App)cooleffect.org
We welcome on our Earth Day episode Dr. Kim Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund and author of UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE: How to be Human in a Warming World. We discuss the emotional side of the climate crisis – coping with feelings of fear, and nurturing your passions in becoming the best climate citizen you can be. Kim walks us through the the stages of Climate Acceptance, and we explore the value of community and trust building in the face of increasing environmental uncertainty. Prof. Kimberly Nicholas is a sustainability scientist at Lund University in Sweden. She has published over 55 articles on climate and sustainability in leading peer-reviewed journals; writes for publications such as Elle, The Guardian, Scientific American, and New Scientist; and is the author of UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE: How to be Human in a Warming World, and the monthly climate newsletter We Can Fix It. She gives lectures and moderates at about 75 international meetings and organizations each year across public policy, civil society, arts and culture, the wine industry, foundations, and academia. Her work has been featured by outlets including the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, Vox, and USA Today. Born and raised on her family's vineyard in Sonoma, California, she studied the effect of climate change on the California wine industry for her PhD in the Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University. Thank you to our sponsors today! TakeCareOf.com with code “ecochic50” DRINKLMNT.com/ECOCHIC shop.analuisa.com/ecochic with code “ecochic” Find me on: Instagram @ecochicpodcast + @lauraediez, on Facebook, Twitter, and now TikTok.
We welcome on our Earth Day episode Dr. Kim Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund and author of UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE: How to be Human in a Warming World. We discuss the emotional side of the climate crisis – coping with feelings of fear, and nurturing your passions in becoming the best climate citizenRead more The post 176: How To Be Human In A Warming World | Dr. Kimberly Nicholas appeared first on ECO CHIC.
Renewable energy is one of the great hopes of humankind when it comes to addressing the threat of climate change and some forms of pollution. Thanks to technological advances it's now become cost-effective enough to compete with non-renewable energy sources. As renewable energy technologies and efficiency continue improving, and new innovations emerge, it's hoped that we can make clean energy ubiquitous. But, as Thomas Sowell said, "there are no solutions - only trade-offs". The harm done by energy generation is not just about the gasses emitted during the generation process. It's also about where renewable energy infrastructure is located; the materials that are mined and transported to build energy infrastructure; the batteries to store energy from non-baseload sources; the waste produced when energy infrastructure needs to be renewed; and, of most relevance to today's discussion, the relative impacts of different forms of energy production on biodiversity.Alexandros Gasparatos is Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo; and Adjunct Associate Professor at the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, also in Tokyo. He is an ecological economist interested in, among many other things, renewable energy and energy policy. In my conversation with him he makes clear above all, I think, that the relationship between energy production (from both renewable and non-renewable sources) and biodiversity is highly complex and what constitutes best solutions can be context-dependent. Time stamps:2:13 Different energy production "pathways" 3:50 What is bioenergy?6:39 How gaps in the literature inspired Alexandros to explore this area of conservation13:48 How different forms of energy production differ in terms of their impact on nature20:15 The difficulty in comparing different forms of energy production25:02 Scale mismatches, and local versus global impacts30:45 Other factors to consider, like energy security32:44 Configuration choice and other ways of reducing impact38:00 Trade-offs and context42:18 Working with stakeholdersVisit www.case4conservation.com
In a world where conversations exploring the grey area of big, complex situations is rare, I'm thrilled to bring you this conversation with Professor Maurie Cohen, Professor of Sustainability at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Most recently, Dr. Cohen has been looking at what the global slowdown has meant for the environment and sustainable living, and what it could mean if some of the radical changes in our everyday lifestyles and consumption habits persist long-term. His work and areas of discussion in this interview cover Environmental Social Science, Alternative Mobility Futures, Socio-Technical Transition Management, Sustainability Science, Environmental Policy and Sustainable Consumption. It's not an easy listen but you aren't a headline thinker, so let's dive in and I can't wait to see what you get out of it. Enjoy the show and head to the show notes for more details over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Im Live Podcast zu Freien Bildungsmaterialien (Open Educational Resources, kurz OER) und Nachhaltigkeit haben wir zwei Expert:innen im Gespräch: René Danz von der NGO Engagement Global und Jennifer Pohlmann, Nachhaltigkeitsforscherin an der HAW, sprechen mit Christian Friedrich darüber, wie Bildung, OER und Nachhaltigkeit zusammenhängen. Feedback, Anregungen und Kommentare gern: Twitter @ HOOU_HAW, via E-mail: [team_hoou@ haw-hamburg.de](mailto:team_hoou@haw-hamburg.de) ## René Danz René Danz ist Leiter der Gruppe „Globale Entwicklung in der Schule“ bei [Engagement Global](https://www.engagement-global.de/). Seit 2017 beschäftigt er sich intensiv mit offenen Bildungsmaterialien im Kontext von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE) und erarbeitete unter anderem ein [Diskussionspapier zur wechselseitigen Ergänzung von BNE und digitaler Bildung](https://ges.engagement-global.de/reihe-veroeffentlichungen-zum-orientierungsrahmen-globale-entwicklung.html?file=files/2_Mediathek/Mediathek_Microsites/OR-Schulprogramm/Downloads/Veroeffentlichungen_Orientierungsrahmen/180731_Diskussionspapier_barrierefrei-final.pdf) sowie [ein Papier zu Potenzialen, Gelingensbedingungen und Perspektiven von offenen Bildungsmaterialien und BNE](https://ges.engagement-global.de/reihe-veroeffentlichungen-zum-orientierungsrahmen-globale-entwicklung.html?file=files/2_Mediathek/Mediathek_Microsites/GES/barrierefreie%20Dokumente%20Neu%202019/OER%20und%20BNE.pdf) im Bereich Schule mit. Foto: privat ## Jennifer Pohlmann [Personenhomepage Jennifer Pohlmann]([Jennifer Pohlmann, HAW Hamburg](https://www.haw-hamburg.de/hochschule/beschaeftigte/detail/person/person/show/jennifer-pohlmann/2345/)) [HAW Hamburg: FTZ NK](https://www.haw-hamburg.de/ftz-nk/) Jennifer Pohlmann (M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development, BA Sozialökonomie) betreut im FTZ NK seit November 2017 verschiedene internationale Forschungsprojekte. Sie bringt ihre mehrjährige Projekterfahrung aus der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und dem Capacity Building ein und entwickelt momentan ein Online Lernangebot zu den Sustainable Development Goals. Darüber hinaus arbeitet sie an einem Projekt zu eHealth in Tansania und unterstützt die KollegInnen der European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR). Foto ©Heiko Thämlitz, HAW Hamburg ## Links und Shownotes [Orientierungsrahmen für den Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung | Portal Globales Lernen](https://www.globaleslernen.de/de/orientierungsrahmen-globale-entwicklung-or-Neuauflage-des-Orientierungsrahmens) [Was ist OER? | in 90 Sekunden erklärt | OERinfo – Informationsstelle OER](https://open-educational-resources.de/was-ist-oer-3-2/) Sustainable Development Goals: [17 Ziele - Vereinte Nationen - Regionales Informationszentrum für Westeuropa](https://unric.org/de/17ziele/) [Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung](https://www.kmk.org/themen/allgemeinbildende-schulen/weitere-unterrichtsinhalte-und-themen/bildung-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung.html) [Nachhaltigkeit – Wikipedia](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachhaltigkeit) [Toolbox: Sustainable Development Goals](https://www.hoou.de/projects/die-digitale-einfuhrung-der-nachhaltigkeitsziele-in-der-lehre/preview) [Digital Learning for Sustainable Development](https://dl4sd.org/course/view.php?id=4) (Login erforderlich) [OER trifft BNE: Wie offene Lehrmaterialien Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung stärken können | bpb.de](https://www.bpb.de/lernen/digitale-bildung/werkstatt/304419/oer-trifft-bne-wie-offene-lehrmaterialien-bildung-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung-staerken-koennen/) [Open Educational Practices (OEP) als Teil einer offenen Pädagogik - Medien - Wissen - wb-web](https://wb-web.de/wissen/medien/open-educational-practices-oep-als-teil-einer-offenen-padagogik.html) Projekt KlimaGESUND [HAW Hamburg: Forschungsprojekte Detail](https://www.haw-hamburg.de/forschung/projekte-a-z/forschungsprojekte-detail/project/project/show/klimagesund/) [Schulwettbewerb-Alle für Eine Welt - Eine Welt für Alle - Engagement Global](https://www.engagement-global.de/schulwettbewerb-eine-welt-fuer-alle-alle-fuer-eine-welt.html) [Nationaler Aktionsplan - BNE-Portal Kampagne](https://www.bne-portal.de/bne/de/nationaler-aktionsplan/nationaler-aktionsplan.html) https://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/15185278/1330dfec0260370d6eb591789abc5dd0/data/masterplan-bne.pdf (PDF)
Mongabay Explores is an episodic podcast series that highlights unique places and species from around the globe. Subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts and stay tuned for subsequent episodes in this season. Spanning over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) and being built over the course of decades, the Trans-Papua Highway cuts across the entire length of Indonesian New Guinea's two provinces, including 7 key protected areas. While the project is nearly complete, experts warn it will cost billions annually to maintain, and threaten to open up untouched rainforest to palm oil expansion contributing an additional 4.5 million hectares of deforestation by 2036. For this episode, we interviewed David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap and Bill Laurance, distinguished professor, and director of the Center for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Science at James Cook University in Australia. Both experts explained the environmental, financial, and social costs of the project, which runs through Indonesia's Lorentz National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you missed the first three episodes of Mongabay Explores New Guinea you can find it via the podcast provider of your choice or find all the episodes of the Mongabay Explores podcast on our podcast homepage here. Episode Artwork: Tearing up trees to expand the road for the Trans West Papua highway. Daniel Beltrá/Greenpeace Editor's Note: Bill Laurance, is a Distinguished Research Professor at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia as well as the founder and director of ALERT (Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers) and a member of Mongabay's advisory board. Sounds heard during the intro and outro include the following: rusty mouse-warbler, growling riflebird, raggiana/lesser bird-of-paradise, superb fruit-dove, long-billed honeyeater, little shrike-thrush, brown cuckoo-dove, black-capped lory. Special thanks to Tim Boucher and Bruce Beehler for identifying them. Please invite your friends to subscribe to Mongabay Explores wherever they get podcasts. If you enjoy our podcast content, please visit www.patreon.com/mongabay to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage: news.mongabay.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok by searching for @mongabay. Feedback is always welcome: submissions@mongabay.com.
Spanning over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) and being built over the course of decades, the Trans-Papua Highway cuts across the entire length of Indonesian New Guinea's two provinces, including 7 key protected areas. While the project is nearly complete, experts warn it will cost billions annually to maintain, and threaten to open up untouched rainforest to palm oil expansion contributing an additional 4.5 million hectares of deforestation by 2036. For this episode, we interviewed David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap and Bill Laurance, distinguished professor, and director of the Center for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Science at James Cook University in Australia. Both experts explained the environmental, financial, and social costs of the project, which runs through Indonesia's Lorentz National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you missed the first three episodes of Mongabay Explores New Guinea you can find it via the podcast provider of your choice or find all the episodes of the Mongabay Explores podcast on our podcast homepage here. Episode Artwork: A part of the Trans Papua highway that snakes across Indonesia's easternmost provinces Papua and West Papua. Photo courtesy of Public Works and Housing Ministry. Editor's Note: Bill Laurance, is a Distinguished Research Professor at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia as well as the founder and director of ALERT (Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers) and a member of Mongabay's advisory board. Sounds heard during the intro and outro include the following: rusty mouse-warbler, growling riflebird, raggiana/lesser bird-of-paradise, superb fruit-dove, long-billed honeyeater, little shrike-thrush, brown cuckoo-dove, black-capped lory. Special thanks to Tim Boucher and Bruce Beehler for identifying them. Please invite your friends to subscribe to Mongabay Explores wherever they get podcasts. If you enjoy our podcast content, please visit www.patreon.com/mongabay to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage: news.mongabay.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok by searching for @mongabay. Feedback is always welcome: submissions@mongabay.com.
This month on the EXALT podcast we were joined by Janne Salovaara from the Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Programme (DENVI) at University of Helsinki. His research looks at the discipline of sustainability science from the perspective of how it is educated at the University level. Janne's first degree is in graphic design and his idea of design was that it was the path to change the world. He thought a lot about what are moral, ethics, and societal responsibility of a design. His frustration with design as a profession led him to the Creative Sustainability program at Aalto University. Our conversation was wide ranging and exciting. The big question we tackled is what is sustainability? It is such a buzzword today, but what does it mean in practice? What is the imaginary of sustainability actually supposed to be? What are we trying to sustain and how do we keep sustainability safe from corporate capture? We explored some of the ontological, epistemological, and practical problems of sustainability. We discussed how it is being taught and what are some of the big failings of sustainability as a concept and a practice. If you want to learn more about Janne's research, please check out his UH research profile and recent publications. Salovaara, J. J., & Soini, K. (2021). Educated professionals of sustainability and the dimensions of practices. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2020-0327 Salovaara, J. J., Pietikäinen, J., & Cantell, H. (2021). Perceptions of interconnected sustainability: Students' narratives bridging transition and education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 281, 125336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125336 Salovaara, J. J., Soini, K., & Pietikäinen, J. (2020). Sustainability science in education: analysis of master's programmes' curricula. Sustainability Science, 15(3), 901-915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00745-1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/exalt-initiative/message
In this end-of-the-year episode, Courtney, Mike, Michael and Stefan sat down to recap the year, talking about their favorite reads and favorite listens, fieldwork done and not done, and interesting work done on non-traditional commons. References: Chambers, J. M., et al. (2021). Six modes of co-production for sustainability. Nature Sustainability, 4(11), 983–996. Christakis, N. A. (2019). Blueprint: The evolutionary origins of a good society. Hachette UK. Epstein, D. (2019). Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Penguin Random House. Freeth, R., and Caniglia, G. (2020). Learning to collaborate while collaborating: advancing interdisciplinary sustainability research. Sustainability Science, 15(1), 247–261. Gorski, P. S. (2013). “What is Critical Realism? And Why Should You Care?” Contemporary Sociology, 42(5), 658–670. Gottlieb, L. (2019). Maybe you should talk to someone. Manjul Publishing. Kearns, F. (2021). Getting to the Heart of Science Communication: A Guide to Effective Engagement. Island Press. Mott, J. (2021). Hell of a Book: A Novel. Penguin. York, A. M., et al. (2021). Integrating institutional approaches and decision science to address climate change: a multi-level collective action research agenda. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 52, 19–26. Podcasts: Sam Harris: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/270-what-have-we-learned-from-the-pandemic https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/269-deep-time Esther Perel: https://www.estherperel.com/podcast Wall Street Journal about uBiome: https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/what-went-wrong-at-ubiome-part-1/8b0717aa-1c66-4524-b47f-0cd3a399fcae
Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund University in Sweden, is the author of "Under the Sky We Make: How to be Human in a Warming World" (2021), and the monthly climate newsletter “We Can Fix It.” In her research, she studies the connections between people, land, and climate. Her goal is to understand how to steward ecosystems to support a good life for everyone alive today, and leave a thriving planet for future generations. On January 12th, 2022, Nicholas will give a virtual talk “Facing Climate Change with Facts, Feelings, and Action” as the Oregon Humanities Center's 2021-2022 Cressman Lecturer and part of the “Imagining Futures” series. https://ohc.uoregon.edu
In this episode, Michael and Stefan spoke with Arun Agrawal, the Samuel Trask Dana Professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. Arun has played an important role in the development of the Commons field and the study of the related subjects of conservation and development. They talked about Arun's path to an academic career, his thoughts about the history and current developments of the study of the Commons, and his thoughts on the categories and dichotomies that structure so much of our thinking in this field. They also talked about Arun's professional roles, including being editor-in-chief of World Development and the director of the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) program. Arun's website: http://www.arunagrawal.org/ References: Agrawal, Arun. 2005. Environmentality: Technologies of Government and the Making of Subjects. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Ferraro, Paul J., and Arun Agrawal. 2021. “Synthesizing Evidence in Sustainability Science through Harmonized Experiments: Community Monitoring in Common Pool Resources.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118 (29). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2106489118.
Join us as we travel from coast to coast to introduce you to people who are working hard to ensure a future for the seafood industry. Learn about sustainable fishing practices, why science plays a big role in the lobster industry, and how family continues to be at the heart of this community.Featuring interviews with:Matt Luck of Alaska Wild Caught SeafoodCurt Brown of Ready SeafoodMeghan Luck of Alaska Wild Caught SeafoodCheck out our upcoming episodes for more stories about the uncommon folks who are using their passion for food to solve problems in their industries, and in our world. Special Thanks to the band Caamp for the use of their song, Send the Fishermen, which can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.Links To Other References:Alaska Wild Caught SeafoodReady SeafoodForever Wild: An Introduction to the Bristol Bay Fishery - A ButcherBox FilmSave Bristol BayTrout Unlimited - An Organization You Can Support to Help Protect Bristol BayButcherBox is Calling for Permanent Protection of Bristol BayBristol Bay, The Pristine Alaskan Waters Where We Source Our Wild-Caught Sockeye SalmonA Conversation with Matt Luck "US Army Corps of Engineers Denies Permit To Controversial Alaska Gold Mine" - NPR"EPA Announces Reinstatement of Clean Water Act Protections for Bristol Bay, Alaska Watershed"Meet the Ready Brothers - Maine Lobster as a Way of LifeIt Begins Here: Family and Sustaining Maine Lobster - A ButcherBox FilmThe University of Maine's Darling Marine LabThe Wild Calls Again - Meghan Luck and Returning to Fish in Alaska
What is eco-citizenship and what does it entail? These are the overarching questions that guide this episode's discussions with Manvi Bhalla, Graduate Student and Co-Founder of Shake Up The Establishment & missINFORMED, and Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund University. From an introduction to intersectionality and its importance in climate justice action, to the Eat Lancet Report's rough guidelines for how to reduce one's carbon footprint, this wide-ranging discussion explores all the facets of what it means to be an eco-citizen, and who bears the most responsibility for taking action to slow climate change.
Ever wonder where studying sustainable technology will take you? Follow our next guest, Heng Yi Teah as he recounts his years of study and how it all led to his experience with fieldwork. Studying sustainable technology took him from shrimp farms in Vietnam to Minamata, Japan where he studied the infamous mercury poisoning case, to tsunami sites in Northeastern Japan, and an oasis in Zhangye, China.
In this special episode, twelve scholars of science advice discuss the challenges of incorporating a radically diverse range of perspectives into a science advice process. This conversation was recorded as part of the INGSA 2021 conference on global science advice, and is moderated by Estelle Balian. Speakers in order of appearance Jacopo Torriti, Professor of Energy Economics and Policy, School of the Built Environment, University of Reading Tuula Teeri, President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Chair of Euro-CASE Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy Central European University, member of the IPCC and member of SAPEA energy working group Jennie Stephens, Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, Northeastern University Thomas Bauwens, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University Clark Miller, Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Director of the Center for Energy and Society, Arizona State University Alex Stingl, Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick Katri Mäkinen-Rostedt, Tampere University Kristian Nielsen, Research Associate at the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge Yvan Dutil, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Québec Heather Douglas, philosopher of science, Michigan State University Resources mentioned in this episode Original recording: www.sapea.info/epistemic-diversity The original recording also includes remarks from Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Tom van Ierland, Sebastien Renaud and David Mair.
Yes, the climate is warming, and yes, we human beings are causing this warming. And yes, things look very bad. But what can be done...and what can **we** do...right now? Our guest has some answers; she is Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at the well-regarded Lund University in Sweden. She joins us to discuss her book, "Under the Sky We Make: How to Be Human in a Warming World." Of this work, a starred review in Booklist noted: "This compelling book about climate change really packs a punch, because climate scientist Nicholas relentlessly brings things down to the personal level.... Libraries wondering if they really need another title on climate change should rest reassured; this is a realistic, accessible, and clarion call for change.... Students will enjoy Nicholas's wry observations and appreciate her approachable insights as well as her 'key take-aways' from every chapter."
Red to Green - Food Tech | Sustainability | Food Innovation | Future of Food | Cultured Meat
we are approaching the end of this season on promoting alt proteins. Today you will hear from two speakers, our first is - Kimberly Nicholas, a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability Science at Lund University in Sweden. Kimberly holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University. She has published over 50 articles on climate and sustainability in leading peer-reviewed journals and is the author of the book “Under the Sky we Make - how to be human in a warming world.” I love her take on toxic positivity and how pointing out the issues of the existing system, e.g. animal agriculture, is important to drive change. Our second guest is Dr Gulbanu Kaptan, Associate Professor in Behavioural Decision Making at the University of Leeds. Her research focuses on judgement and decision making with a special interest in food-related decision making and risk (benefit) communications. Connect with Marina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/ To stay up-to-date for future episodes take 3 seconds to click on “follow” and subscribe to Red to Green. More info and links to resources on https://redtogreen.solutions/ For sponsorships, collaborations, volunteering, or feedback write Marina at change@redtogreen.solutions Please leave a review on iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/red-to-green-food-sustainability/id1511303510 Thanks to our partners of this season Atlantic Food Labs: Atlantic Food Labs is a leading European VC and company builder in food, health & sustainability. They cover the entire value chain – from ag-tech, alternative proteins, water supply, food security, decentralized food production, vertical farming, to food waste and carbon reduction. https://foodlabs.de/ NX-Food: NX-Food stands for Next Generation Food and focuses on consultancy, community, partnership and startup value creation – because the future of food needs to be shaped. https://nx-food.com/
Yes, the climate is warming, and yes, we human beings are causing this warming. And yes, things look very bad. But what can be done...and what can **we** do...right now? Our guest has some answers; she is Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at the well-regarded Lund University in Sweden. Born and raised on a vineyard in Sonoma, California, Nicholas studied the effect of climate change on the California wine industry for her PhD at Stanford. Since then, she's published 50+ articles on climate and sustainability in leading academic journals; her research has also been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. She joins us discuss her new book, "Under the Sky We Make: How to Be Human in a Warming World." Of this work, a starred review in Booklist noted: "This compelling book about climate change really packs a punch, because climate scientist Nicholas relentlessly brings things down to the personal level....
Bonnie McBain (pictured), a Sustainability Science lecturer from the University of Newcastle, understands how challenging complex problems can be and sees climate change as the "big doozy". Her recent piece in The Conversation - "Renewables need land - and lots of it. And the poses tricky questions for regional Australia" - caught our attention and prompted this interview. Climate Conversations encourages you to enjoy "Music for a Warming World".
In Episode 41 we meet Simona Jastremskaite who participated in the 2020 Dublona Journey. Simona's climate journey began in China. While teaching, she became sensitised to the incapacity of expanding urban areas to build resilience against rapid climate change. This has led her to her Master's studies in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science at the University of Lund, where she is specializing in the connection between conventional farming and eutrophication. Eutrophication is caused by an excessive use of fertilizers in conventional farming, which pollutes waterways. As a result, algae populations explode as they feast on the nutrient-rich particles in the water. This has devastating consequences for marine life. In this episode, Simona discusses her thesis research with the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment into this topic, as well as her other projects tackling food waste in both Vilnius and Lund. Interested in finding out more about her projects? Get in touch through the links below! Project Pond (in Lund): projectpond.lund@gmail.com Green Grip: sjastremskaite@gmail.com Food Saving Vilnius: sjastremskaite@gmail.com Urban Gardening in Bulgaria: https://www.naturalistichno.org/naturalistichno-2/
In a world where food and farming are highly polarized issues, Rob Paarlberg’s approach is to follow the evidence. This has earned him great respect, but also means his well-researched views tend to land him in no-man’s land between traditional industry views and the new food movement.For instance, Rob supports modern commercial farming and the use of fertilizers; however, he’s not a blanket supporter of ‘Big Ag’. He is highly critical of the state of animal welfare in modern American livestock production, but he’s not against eating meat. As an author and Associate in the Sustainability Science program at the Harvard Kennedy School, Rob is renowned for debunking the popular myths about food and farming.In his latest book, “Resetting the Table: Straight Talk About the Food We Grow and Eat, Rob argues that food policy, rather than farm policy, should be the focus for reform when it comes to the American food system.In this episode, Rob discusses his latest book and:Why returning to the ‘old ways’ of farming is not sustainableHow US farm subsidies make food more, not less, expensiveThe cause of the obesity epidemic in America (and the food policies that could actually make a difference).Why the agriculture industry needs to improve its treatment of animals (and the relatively low costs involved).For insights and resources, visit our website.
Osamu is an expert in the field of biodiversity and ecosystem, he has been working on the interlinkages between ecological, human, and social systems through sustainability science approaches.
This insight episode is taken from full episode 30, Stefan's conversation with Ina Möller. Ina Möller is a postdoctoral researcher in the environmental policy group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Ina completed her PhD in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden, where her thesis was titled The Emergent Politics of Geoengineering. She also has a Master degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University, and a Bachelor degree in Political Science and Public Administration. She currently works together with Prof. Aarti Gupta on anticipation, governance and transparency in the politics of climate change. Her principal focus has been on the case of climate engineering, which describes large-scale interventions into natural systems that are envisioned to stabilize global temperatures. She continues to study the reaction of actors throughout society as the idea of engineering the climate becomes more normalized in climate science. https://www.wur.nl/en/Persons/Ina-dr.-IM-Ina-Moller.htm https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ina_Moeller -------- www.incommonpodcast.org https://www.patreon.com/incommonpodcast Twitter & Instagram @incommonpod
In this episode, Stefan interviews Emily Boyd, an in-person interview recorded back in January 2020. Emily is Director of Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies and Professor in Sustainability Science. She is a leading social scientist with a background in international development, environment and climate change, with a focus on the interdisciplinary nexus of poverty, livelihoods and resilience in relation to global environmental change. Emily is currently leading work on undesirable resilience, politics of loss and damage and intersectionality in societal transitions, including on transformations under climate change. Emily Boyd is also an author for the IPCC, IPBES, and UKCCRA and is an Earth System Governance Senior Fellow. https://www.lucsus.lu.se/emily-boyd https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=CatOY9oAAAAJ&hl=de&oi=ao In Common Podcast If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a rating in Apple Podcasts, or your podcast app! www.incommonpodcast.org Twitter @incommonpod Instagram @incommonpod Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/incommonpodcast
Jennie is the Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also the Director for Strategic Research Collaborations at Northeastern University's Global Resilience Institute, and is affiliated with the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the department of Cultures, Societies & Global Studies. Her research, teaching, and community engagement focus on integrating social justice, feminist, and anti-racist perspectives into climate and energy resilience, social and political aspects of the renewable energy transition, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, energy democracy, gender in energy and climate, and climate and energy justice. Her unique transdisciplinary approach integrates innovations in social science and public policy with science and engineering to promote social justice, reduce inequalities and redistribute power (electric power, economic power and political power). In her book Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy published by Island Press in 2020, she argues that effectively addressing climate change requires diversifying leadership, redistributing wealth and power, and moving beyond mainstream male-dominated technocratic solutions to climate change. Throughout her career she has explored institutional and cultural innovation in the energy sector, including gender diversity, energy democracy, and technological optimism as well as the “usability” of climate science in climate resilience efforts. Professor Stephens was a 2015-2016 Leopold Leadership fellow, and her book “Smart Grid (R)Evolution: Electric Power Struggles” (Cambridge University Press, 2015) explores social and cultural debates about energy system change (co-authored with Wilson & Peterson). Before coming to Northeastern, Professor Stephens was on the faculty at the University of Vermont (2014-2016) and Clark University (2005-2014). She did post-doctoral research at Harvard's Kennedy School and she has taught courses at Tufts, Boston University, and MIT. She earned her PhD at the California Institute of Technology in Environmental Science & Engineering and her BA at Harvard University in Environmental Science and Policy. Jennie is an educator, a social justice advocate, an energy expert, and a sustainability science researcher. She is Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University in Boston, where she is also the Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy, Director of Strategic Research Collaborations at the Global Resilience Institute, and a member of the Executive Committee of Northeastern's Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. She has written on this topic for professional and mainstream media including Science and the Wall Street Journal. Her latest book is Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy.
In this episode Michael and Stefan spoke with Xavier Basurto, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. We talked about the development of his career that led him to Duke, and a current project he is co-leading in collaboration with the FAO and WorldFish, a CGIAR research center, known as Illuminating Hidden Harvests. Based on a paper that Xavier recently co-authored, we also talked about the importance of pre- and post-harvest arrangements in fisheries, as well as the difference between the patron-client model and the cooperative model for resource management. Xavier dedicated the interview to his two daughters, Sofia and Ghita. Xavier's website: https://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/xavierbasurto/?_ga=2.23995258.11664891.1606752433-415164452.1605284574 Hidden harvests project page: https://www.worldfishcenter.org/hidden-harvests Xavier's paper that we discuss: Basurto, Xavier, Abigail Bennett, Emilie Lindkvist, and Maja Schlüter. 2020. “Governing the Commons beyond Harvesting: An Empirical Illustration from Fishing.” PloS One 15 (4): e0231575. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231575.
The podcast welcomed back Mike McMeekin with the Engineering Change Lab to discuss the intersection of engineering and the environment with guest Jennifer Molnar, Lead Scientist & Managing Director, Center for Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy.Engineering Change Lab - USA (ECL-USA) is a new non-profit that is focused on the future of engineering. ECL-USA’s mission is to be a catalyst for change within the engineering community, helping it contribute at the highest possible level in addressing the challenges of the 21st Century.ECL-USA has now held nine summits over the last three years. Each summit is a deep dive into an issue that will impact the future of engineering. The summits include a combination of learning from thought leaders, or provocateurs, along with small group and large group exercises and discussion.The concept of Environmentally Responsible Engineering has been a topic at two recent summits. ECL-USA’s recent virtual summit explored what it takes to lead the work of environmentally responsible engineering through the stories of leaders actively engaged in this type of work.One of the provocateurs for this session was Jen Molnar, Lead Scientist & Managing Director, Center for Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy. Jen Molnar’s work at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) revolves around her desire to combine her environmental engineering background with a deeper involvement with nature to address environmental challenges.
Dinis Guarda citiesabc openbusinesscouncil Thought Leadership Interviews
Michael Stanley-Jones, member of the UNEP Ecosystem Integration Branch and Secretariat of the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion is the guest in this new citiesabc series interviews. Led by Dinis Guarda, Michael Stanley-Jones discusses the role of the United Nations in achieving the #SDGs and how the Alliance for #SustainableFashion can help promote a more conscious fashion industry.Michael Stanley-Jones Interview Focus1. An introduction from you - background, overview, education.2. When was the moment you decided to change your life in Silicon Valley towards a sustainability activism career?3. Can you tell us about your career highlights so far working in the UN, Sustainable Fashion Alliance, as an environmentalist in Silicon Valley, etc.?4. Can you tell us more about the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?5. As part of the UNEP Sustainability Work Group, you supported the development and adoption of the UNEP Environmental, Social & Economic Sustainability Framework, which provides review, transparency, and grievance procedures. Can you tell us about your vision and how to put it in practice?6. You have been the inaugural Secretary and the first Chair of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, an inter-agency coordinating group (from Dec. 2018, as the Alliance's co-Secretary with Simone Cipriani, Head of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative) since July 2018. Can you tell us about that role and your work done so far?7. How can we create a more sustainable world, focusing on two major topics - fashion and textile industry?8. Can you tell us about your work as author of "Reward and Renewal: The Poverty-Environment Initiative Final Project Report (2014-2018)" and co-author of J. Gupta et al, "Re-imaging the driver-pressure-state-impact-response framework from an equity and inclusive development perspective" (Sustainability Science, June 2019)?9. What advice do you give to individuals and organisations at the time of Covid-19 and on how to cope with the present challenges specially with advent of Society 5.0 - 4IR and all areas of digital transformation when it comes to UN SDG and your work with UN, at large?10. About data ownership and technology. What are your visions on data ownership and the UN's approach to it?11. You are a poet too. Can you tell us more about this creative side?About Dinis Guarda profile and Channelshttps://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/w...https://www.dinisguarda.com/https://youtu.be/jdxqAJf3pk8
On this episode, we have a special guest sit down and talk with us about resilience - Dr. Elena Bennett! Dr. Bennett is a professor and research chair in Sustainability Science at McGill University, where she studies interactions among people and ecosystem services. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Bennett worked on the United Nations' Millennium Ecosystems Assessment. We talk with Dr. Bennett about how her work relates to ecological resilience, ask her about her ecosystem services research, discuss positivity and optimistic messages with “Seeds of Good Anthropocenes,” and much more! Funding support from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Great Plains Studies, https://www.unl.edu/plains/welcome Dr. Bennett's lab website: http://bennettlab.weebly.com/ The United Nations Millennium Ecosystems Assessment: https://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.html Information about Good Anthropocenes: https://goodanthropocenes.net/ Contact Us: whrapodcast@gmail.com Council For Resilience Education Website: cre.unl.edu Online Module: https://passel2.unl.edu/view/lesson/d6c3e24cbc7e Music licensed from http://www.purple-planet.com
Green Dreamer: Sustainability and Regeneration From Ideas to Life
*We need your support to continue the show! If you've listened to more than a few episodes and have learned from our work, please join our Patreon today: www.greendreamer.com/support Maurie Cohen is a Professor of Sustainability Studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and author of the book, The Future of Consumer Society: Prospects for Sustainability in the New Economy. He's also the Editor of the journal, Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy, and co-founder of the Future Earth Knowledge-Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production. In this podcast episode, Maurie sheds light on what we can learn from viewing conscious consumerism, not through an individualistic lens, but a more collective one; the limitations and cautions against seeing localization as our path forward; and more. Featured music: Fight for You by Raye Zaragoza Episode notes: www.greendreamer.com/maurie Weekly solutions-based news: www.greendreamer.com Support the show: www.greendreamer.com/support Instagram: www.instagram.com/greendreamerpodcast
Today I speak about COVID-19 IN BANGLADESH AND FOOD INSECURITY with Hanna Ruscczyk, Durham University and Maheen Khan.Maheen Khan is a writer and co-editor for the Voices from the Frontline initiative by INTL CENTER FOR CLOMATE CHABGE AND DEVELOPMENT ICCCAD and CDKN. She is a communications specialist and has ten years of professional experience across multiple sectors: education, data/tech, and sustainable textiles. Maheen was the founder and creative director of Monokrome, a sustainable fashion startup in Bangladesh. At Monokrome she successfully implemented the circular design economy as its business model. Maheen is currently reading her MSc in Sustainability Science, Policy and Society at Maastricht University, in the Netherlands. She was born in Bangladesh, and had previously attained a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Demography from Macquarie University in Australia.Hanna A Ruszczyk is a feminist urban geographer at Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience and the Department of Geography. She is interested in how the world’s invisible majority live in academically overlooked smaller cities. Her forthcoming edited book, Overlooked Cities: Power, Politics and Knowledge Beyond the Urban South, Routledge Studies in Urbanism and the City series, will be out in late 2020.
Join Climable in an illuminating conversation with guest Jennie Stephens, director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University. We are covering so many topics in this four part series, from intersectional environmentalism to social-political aspects of the renewable energy movement and more!
The climate crisis is a crisis of leadership. For too long, too many leaders have prioritized corporate profits over the public good, exacerbating climate vulnerabilities while reinforcing economic and racial injustice. But leaders who are connecting climate and energy with job creation and economic justice, health and nutrition, housing and transportation, are advancing exciting transformative change. These bold, diverse leaders are resisting the "polluter elite" to restructure society by catalyzing a shift to a just, sustainable, regenerative, and healthy future. Jennie C. Stephens, a Gund Affiliate, is Director of Northeastern University's School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs, Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy, and Director for Strategic Research Collaborations at the Global Resilience Institute. She is an internationally-recognized expert on renewable transformation, energy justice, climate resilience, and gender in energy innovation with two decades of experience linking environmental science and technology with policy and social change. Learn more about the Gund Institute: https://www.uvm.edu/gund Explore Gund events: https://www.uvm.edu/gund/events
Join Climable in an illuminating conversation with guest Jennie Stephens, director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University. We are covering so many topics in this four part series, from intersectional environmentalism to social-political aspects of the renewable energy movement and more!
Join Climable in an illuminating conversation with guest Jennie Stephens, director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University. We are covering so many topics in this four part series, from intersectional environmentalism to social-political aspects of the renewable energy movement and more!
Join Climable in an illuminating conversation with guest Jennie Stephens, director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University. We are covering so many topics in this four part series, from intersectional environmentalism to social-political aspects of the renewable energy movement and more!
In Episode 7, Eli speaks with Dr. Mike Dockry of the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources. Mike researches indigenous models of sustainability, which is the topic of our discussion. We also discuss the land grant university system and the increasing popularity, but insufficiency, of land acknowledgments. Music by Marshall Usinger. Links from the episode: Dockry et al. 2016. Sustainable development education, practice, and research: an indigenous model of sustainable development at the College of Menominee Nation, Keshena, WI, USA. Sustainability Science. Lee and Atone 2020. Land-grab Universities. High Country News. Atone and Lee 2020. Ask Who Paid for America's Universities. New York Times. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.
In this episode, Stefan Partelow interviews David Lam. David is a PhD candidate at Leuphana University in Germany. His research focuses on the transferability and scalability of the transformational impact of sustainability initiatives. Before starting his PhD, David Lam studied Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science at Lund University and worked for three years as a corporate responsibility consultant for companies, federal ministries, and NGOs. https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/ietsr/staff/david-lam.html In the podcast we talk about a few different papers (links below) comprising David’s PhD research and thesis. This includes how sustainability transformations are fostered by local actors, but also how understandings of sustainability differs between actors. We also discuss a recent paper led by David on applications processes in the sustainability transformations literature. David has also conducted a review of local and indigensous knowledge, which leads us to discussion on plurality and the challenges on integrating different types of knowledge in transdisciplinary research processes. Lam, D.P.M., Martín-López, B., Wiek, A. et al. Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives: a typology of amplification processes. Urban Transform 2, 3 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-020-00007-9 Lam, D., E. Hinz, D. Lang, M. Tengö, H. von Wehrden, and B. Martín-López. 2020. Indigenous and local knowledge in sustainability transformations research: a literature review. Ecology and Society 25(1):3. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-11305-250103 Finding Sustainability Podcast @find_sust_pod https://twitter.com/find_sust_pod Environmental Social Science Network https://essnetwork.net/ https://twitter.com/ESS_Network @ESS_Network
In this episode, Stefan interviews Henrik von Wehrden. Henrik is the Dean of the Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University in Germany, where he also holds a professorship in quantitative methods in sustainability science. Henrik was one of the first guests on the podcast, and you can hear our previous interview in episode 003, which gives a more general overview of his background and work. In this episode we discuss: Henrik’s understanding of the COVID19 data, and how he used existing models to foresee its spread The usefulness of using mixed methods to understand the data The role of sustainability science How COVID19 may change academia What we can learn from this global challenge Henrik’s university page https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/institute-of-ecology/team/henrik-von-wehrden.html Henrik’s lab page https://henrikvonwehrden.leuphana.de/ Henrik's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=RmW1avAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Finding Sustainability Podcast @find_sust_pod https://twitter.com/find_sust_pod Environmental Social Science Network https://essnetwork.net/ https://twitter.com/ESS_Network @ESS_Network
Ina Möller is a postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Ina completed her PhD in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden, where her thesis was titled The Emergent Politics of Geoengineering. She also has a Master degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University, and a Bachelor degree in Political Science and Public Administration. She currently works together with Prof. Aarti Gupta on anticipation, governance and transparency in the politics of climate change. Her principal focus has been on the case of climate engineering, which describes large-scale interventions into natural systems that are envisioned to stabilize global temperatures. She continues to study the reaction of actors throughout society as the idea of engineering the climate becomes more normalized in climate science. Ina's university page https://www.wur.nl/en/Persons/Ina-dr.-IM-Ina-Moller.htm Ina’s ResearchGate page https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ina_Moeller Finding Sustainability Podcast @find_sust_pod https://twitter.com/find_sust_pod Environmental Social Science Network https://essnetwork.net/ https://twitter.com/ESS_Network @ESS_Network
#07 Improving students’ competencies in sustainability science through the integration of digital teaching and learning in higher education
Alex Godoy Faúndez director centro de investigación en sustentabilidad y gestión estratégica de recursos Universidad del Desarrollo. Tema: "Sustainability Science" Cómo nos aproximamos a comprender al desarrollo sustentable.
In this episode we are making things personal. Watching the bushfires ravage Australia has left many people with a desperate need to bring about relief and change, and take back control in their lives when it comes to their personal climate impact. Australian’s live largely beyond their means when it comes to their personal carbon impact, and part of the challenge is understanding the everyday choices and decisions we make that have have a climate impact. So what are those choices? What are the hidden and surprising carbon aspects of our lives and what are the three things you and I can do to steadily reduce our impact, together doing our bit for climate action? Breaking it down with us today is Dr Kimberly Nicholas. Kim is an Associate Professor of Sustainability Science and Director of PhD Studies at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) in Lund, Sweden. In her research, she studies the connections between people, land, and climate.
Hosted by Columbia University School of Professional Studies Dean, Jason Wingard, Talks@Columbia and the Learn For Life podcast presents timely thought leadership on crucial issues facing academia and industry today. Arthur (Art) Lerner-Lam is the Academic Director for the M.S. in Sustainability Science Program. https://www.science.ei.columbia.edu/ Art is also a Lamont Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory a seismologist who has studied and published on the interactions between crust and mantle, the thickness of tectonic plates, the structure of mountain belts and crustal rifts, and active seismicity. He has led scientific expeditions in the Middle East, Europe, Central and South Asia, the Southwest Pacific, and throughout the United States. Over the last 20 years, he has lectured and written widely on natural hazards and society. Lerner-Lam and his colleagues and students have supported the activities of the United Nations, the World Bank, and other international institutions promoting sustainable development in the face of extreme natural hazards. In addition to being an instructor for Columbia University's Sustainability Science M.S. program, Lerner-Lam also teaches course in the M.S. Sustainability Management, and Environmental Science & Policy programs. With colleagues from political science, economics, and international affairs, Lerner-Lam also has developed related curricula on sustainability management and sustainable investing suited for intensive executive education certificate programs. Lerner-Lam has held Post-doctoral positions at Scripps and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been at Lamont-Doherty since 1985. He has been on numerous scientific advisory committees and editorial boards including as a member of the Federal Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee for the U.S. Geological Survey, as a consultant to the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and as a contributing author to the U.N.’s Global Risk Update. He has consulted on environmental and natural hazard resilience for the governments of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Chile, India, China, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. He has also testified before the U.S. Congress on the nation’s preparedness for natural disasters.
Henrik is the Dean of the Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University in Germany, where he also holds a professorship in Quantitative Methods in Sustainability Science. Topics include meditation, philosophy, value of literature reviews, and organizing his working group. Henrik's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=RmW1avAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
You can find Kim Nicholas online at www.kimnicholas.comYou can follow Kim Nicholas on twitter at twitter.com/KA_NicholasYou can find Halfway Expert online at clockworksacademy.com/halfwayexpertYou can follow Halfway Expert on twitter at twitter.com/halfexpertYou can email Halfway Expert at halfwayexpert@gmail.comIf you like this show or if you would like me to keep making it, please support me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/clockworkscastI have a bibliography of the books and articles I consulted during my one week of studying, and Kim Nicholas has a list of recommended further reading for sustainability science. You'll be able to find both here.I am always on the lookout for new topics to discuss and new experts to discuss them with. If you'd like to suggest a topic or an expert, or if you are an expert and you'd like to talk about your discipline with me, please contact me!
Episode 16: Martin Fox is a first year Masters degree student in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science at Lund University. Martin graduated from LUC in July 2018 where he majored in Earth, Energy and Sustainability. He is very passionate about global sustainability issues such as climate change, urban sustainability and fisheries. (His capstone at LUC was about the overexploitation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna). Professionally, Martin aspires to play a key role in decision making processes, bridging the gap between policy makers and scientists in order to enhance sustainability transitions around the world. This episode's motto: "It turns out that group work is important."
The Global Development Institute is pleased to present Prof Franklin Obeng-Odoom, University of Helsinki, talking about: Property, institutions, and social stratification in Africa While it is intrinsically important to explain and, ultimately, try to address social stratification in Africa, these aspirations have not yet been satisfactorily executed. Human capital explanations can be enticing, especially when they appear to explain the meteoric rise of the Asian Tigers in terms of their so-called cultures of hard work. Attempting to explain Africa’s unequal position in the world system this way is common, as is conceptualising the problem in terms of the absence of physical capital and the presence, or dominance, of natural resources. In turn, it is quite usual to posit the need to reduce the transaction costs of transnational corporations, which presumably work to resolve the challenges of development in Africa. In practice, however, neither African culture, poor human capital, inadequate physical capital, nor the natural resource curse explains Africa’s underdevelopment. None of these can sufficiently explain the startling economic inequalities in Africa between various social groups, nor those between Africa and the rest of the world. In this regard, the idea that certain cultures of land either hinder, or would enable ‘Africa’s catch up’, are also mistaken. Although the reverse case – that African cultures are pristine – is sometimes used to counter this central thesis, it is similarly unconvincing. The spectre of Manicheanism, that is, expressing the African condition according to a dichotomy of either cultural pessimism or cultural triumphalism, is limiting. Franklin Obeng-Odoom is with Development Studies at the University of Helsinki, where he is Associate Professor of Sustainability Science. He is also a Member of the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, where he leads the Social Sustainability of Urban Transformations in the Global South theme. Previously, he taught at various universities in Australia, including the University of Technology Sydney where he was Director of Higher Degree Research Programmes.
Trash Talking with Eco-Warriors | Sustainability, Green Business, Conservation
There are so many different ways to pursue a career. Some people fall into their jobs while others take a more traditional approach. The Earth Institute blends research in physical and social sciences, education and practical solutions to help guide the world towards a path of sustainability. Their initiatives focus on water and climate to urbanization and agriculture. There are a number of different programs that fall under The Earth Institute including Masters programs in Climate and Society as well as Sustainability Science. Natalie Unwin-Kuruneri shares her journey towards her current role as The Associate Director of Education at The Earth Institute and gives advice for those who are thinking of higher education as the path to a green career. -- Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and share this podcast with other eco-warriors. We read all of your reviews and your positive ratings help us spread the word and spur more eco-warriors to action. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/trashtalking/support
Last year, the world was amazed by the news that a new species of orangutan - the Tapanuli orangutan - was found in Batang Toru, Sumatra. Unfortunately, researchers believe that only fewer than 800 of these animals are surviving in a tiny tract of forest. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the Tapanuli Orangutans are now facing a more dangerous threat in the form of the Chinese-funded Batang Toru hydropower project, which would slice their tiny habitat in half, and pretty much ensure their extinction. Leading scientists have slammed plans of this development, which was refused support by other major funders such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, which judged the ape’s habitat far too sensitive environmentally to sustain further development. We find out more from Distinguished Professor William Laurance, the Director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at the James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. He is also a member of ALERT—the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & ThinkersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last year, the world was amazed by the news that a new species of orangutan - the Tapanuli orangutan - was found in Batang Toru, Sumatra. Unfortunately, researchers believe that only fewer than 800 of these animals are surviving in a tiny tract of forest. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the Tapanuli Orangutans are now facing a more dangerous threat in the form of the Chinese-funded Batang Toru hydropower project, which would slice their tiny habitat in half, and pretty much ensure their extinction. Leading scientists have slammed plans of this development, which was refused support by other major funders such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, which judged the ape’s habitat far too sensitive environmentally to sustain further development. We find out more from Distinguished Professor William Laurance, the Director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at the James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. He is also a member of ALERT—the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers
Last year, the world was amazed by the news that a new species of orangutan - the Tapanuli orangutan - was found in Batang Toru, Sumatra. Unfortunately, researchers believe that only fewer than 800 of these animals are surviving in a tiny tract of forest. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the Tapanuli Orangutans are now facing a more dangerous threat in the form of the Chinese-funded Batang Toru hydropower project, which would slice their tiny habitat in half, and pretty much ensure their extinction. Leading scientists have slammed plans of this development, which was refused support by other major funders such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, which judged the ape’s habitat far too sensitive environmentally to sustain further development. We find out more from Distinguished Professor William Laurance, the Director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at the James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. He is also a member of ALERT—the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers
It’s being called the biggest infrastructure project in human history, the likes of which Planet Earth has never seen before. And up until now, the disastrous environmental implications of the Belt and Road Initiative have gone unrecognised and underreported. In a special Think: Sustainability update, you’ll hear exactly what this environmental damage looks like and the forces pressing infrastructure over ecology. Featuring:Bill Laurance - Distinguished Research Professor and Director for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at James Cook University. Producer: Jake Morcom.
Today, we have the power and technology to change the Earth’s climate as we see fit. Geoengineering. Is it a good idea or a terrible one? What happens if we do it? Or if we don’t? This week we discuss emerging technologies with our guest, Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, Jennie Stephens. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What comes to mind when you think of Iceland? Maybe you think of a tiny population, sub-zero temperatures, and dramatic Arctic landscapes. Maybe, if you cast your mind back a few years, you think of Icelandic banks collapsing amidst the Global Financial Crisis, or mass protests following the Panama Papers scandal. But what might not come to mind is the role Iceland is playing in some very big global debates. These are debates on the turn away from establishment politics, on impending environmental crises, on global inequality, and on the need for new economic models for the 21st Century. In this episode, we talk to Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir, Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Iceland, and member of Iceland's Pirate Party. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Environmental justice and sustainability are two critical, but often separate initiatives undertaken by NGOs, planners, government agencies, and grassroots groups. This presentation includes three cases in which environmental justice concerns confuse conventional discourses of sustainability (soil lead and urban gardens, home foreclosure and vacant lot reuse, and legacy pollution and waterfront development). Collectively, these works reveal the need to develop better theories of change and highlight the opportunities and value of diverse geospatial approaches. To facilitate collaboration and mutual learning, I will end by presenting the as-yet untested ideas I have been developing since arriving at NC State last year and inviting the audience to think about how geospatial approaches might contribute to understanding the relationship between environmental justice and sustainability as it relates to hurricane recovery. Open minds, wild ideas and seemingly simple questions are highly encouraged.
Given that we are so close to the start of a new year, over the next couple of weeks on the podcast I wanted to stop and have a look at how our global, regional, and local environments are tracking along. Today and next week, I’m lucky to be chatting with Professor William Laurance. He is a distinguished research professor and Australian Laureate at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia. A tropical conservation biologist, he has written eight books and over 450 scientific and popular articles. He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences and has received many professional honors, including the Heineken Environment Prize. He is director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science at James Cook University, and founded and directs ALERT—the Alliance of Leading Environmental Researchers & Thinkers—a global conservation-advocacy group that reaches over 250,000 readers each week. He is also a four-time winner of Australia’s Best Science Writing Prize. The topic of today’s chat is Biodiversity. Many articles and media over the last few years have reported that the Earth is facing a Mass Extinction event on a scale similar to that which wiped out the dinosaurs. It’s been termed the Sixth Mass Extinction event and is really quite scary for life as we know it on Earth. In today’s podcast Bill and I discuss: What biodiversity is and why it’s important. What this Sixth Mass Extinction event means. The current rates and percentages of biodiversity loss Where Australia sits among the rest of the world on the issue of biodiversity. What needs to happen to halt, or slow the current rates of biodiversity loss worldwide. This is a really meaty episode but I’m excited and proud of that. I don’t like to shy away from the big issues on this podcast which is why I’ve invited Bill to come on and share his insights and knowledge on the topic of biodiversity.
Alice Benessia Do we really want and need to be smart? Can we? The imaginaries of the Internet of Things and their inherent contradictions Emergent information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), constantly redefine the texture of our culture, society and lifestyle, raising a number of fundamental epistemic, normative and ethical issues, in a constant co-evolution. These technologies are constructed, named, offered, and ultimately regulated, according to and through specific techno-scientific imaginaries, here defined as collections of visual and verbal metaphors that are created and communicated both in the specialized literature and in the mass media for the public at large. Wonder, power, control and urgency can be defined as standard imaginaries of techno-scientific innovation: the fundamental axes defining an ideal space in which the multifaceted vision of the IoT can be projected and analyzed, in terms of what we want (wonder), we can (power and control) and we need (urgency) to be smart. Within this ideal space, we will examine together a variety media available on the web and produced by some of the key actors of the IoT revolution. This exploration leads to an open-ended reflection on the underlying aims and contradictions of the ICT enhancement, in relation to the possible decline of some of the fundamental attributes of our integrity and agency. Bio Alice Benessia holds a PhD in Science Technology and Law, an M.A. in the Philosophical Foundations of Physics and an M.F.A in Photography and Related Media. She is a research fellow on Epistemology of Sustainability at the Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Sustainability (IRIS) based at the University of Torino. She has been appointed expert at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. She is a founding member of the Italian Association for Sustainability Science. She also works as a visual artist and has lectured on photography and visual arts in numerous national and international participatory workshops. Her interdisciplinary research deals with epistemological issues arising in the framework of art, science and sustainability with special interest in visual language. http://alicebenessia.it Sara M. Watson Liquid Data: The Power of Seductive Metaphors By examining the dominant metaphors we use to talk about data, Sara M. Watson dissects the industry-centric bias at the core of our cultural understanding of data today. She argues more embodied data metaphors can better animate public consciousness and, in turn, shape policy positions, technology designs, and business models going forward. The power of metaphorical framings feeds into her recent work as a research fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, examining the rhetoric and ideology of technology on the public imagination. Sara argues that a constructive approach to technology criticism can improve the broader cultural discourse about technology, not only commenting on the technologies we have, but influencing and shaping the technologies we want. Bio Sara M. Watson is a technology critic and a Research Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. She is also an affiliate with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. Her work explores how we are learning to live with, understand, and interpret our personal data and the algorithms that shape our experiences. She investigates the ways that corporations, governments, and individuals use data from wearable sensors, the internet of things, and other digitally processed systems. http://www.saramwatson.com Audio recording Stress.fm
Jennifer Molnar, Director of Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy, discusses a partnership with The Dow Chemical Company recognizing the value of ecosystem services in corporate strategy. She reviews the scientific, economic, and strategic aspects of the project.
Development of a sustainable relationship with the planet’s natural resources is an increasingly urgent imperative for our survival. Presently we face the ultimate test of our adaptability as a species and, owing to the lead-time required to address climate change, it is likely that we have little more than a decade to vigorously transition towards sustainability. The science is clear that the consequences of failing to respond will be profound and irrevocable over a millennial time scale. The current generation of college students is well informed of these realities by the time they graduate, but they are not prepared to adapt and engage in the opportunities inherent in rehabilitating the Earth’s life support systems. They are ill prepared to participate in an economy that will be increasingly organized around humanity’s response to ecological crises. Sustainability Science (sensu U.S. National Academy of Science) is a framework that provides a transdisciplinary, problem based, solution focused pedagogy for training students as knowledge brokers in environmental sciences. This approach will serve to rapidly prepare a generation of students who will be required to push the limits of their ingenuity, cooperation, and innovation. Those who are prepared and can lead will have an unprecedented opportunity to create a global economy built around sustainable management of natural resources. We must not merely prepare, but also inspire this generation to rise to greatness.