NRES 3000/5000
Sustainability Science: Focus on Rio +10
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1 -- Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations (Part 1)
Week 2 -- Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations (Part 2): Climate Change and the United Nations process
Week 3 -- Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations (Part 3): Climate Change and the United Nations process
Week 4 -- Economic Science Perspectives
Week 5 -- Ecological and Ecosystem Science Perspectives Presentation
Week 6 -- Defining Sustainability Science
Week 7 -- Defining Sustainability Science, Part II
Week 8 -- Community-level Action on Agenda 21
Week 9 -- Student Presentation: Promoting Sustianable Agriculture and Rural Development
Week 10 -- Student Presentation: Water -- A Key Resource for Sustainable Development
Week 11 -- Student Presentation: Conservation of Biodiversity AND Environmentally Sound Management of Biotechnology
Week 13 -- Student Presentation: Business Interests & The Earth Summit
Week 14 -- Student Presentation: Protection of the Atmosphere
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 1
TOPIC: Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations (Part 1)
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:25, Course Overview
Why we are teaching this course
Reviewing syllabus
Course policies (absence, expectations, office hours)
4:25-4:55, background on the concept of sustainable development, United Nations meetings and institutions
Outline
Part I: Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United NationsI. Background and History
A. Sustainable development as a political compromise/necessity for the UN
to accomplish its goals
1. World Commission on Environment and Development
The Brundtland Report: Our Common Future - coined and defined
sustainable development for the UN
2. Agenda 21: the Earth Summit's blueprint for sustainable development
a. Preamble to Agenda 21
b. Rio Declaration: 27 principles from the Earth SummitB. A closer inspection reveals that much of Agenda 21 calls for is sustainable
growth
a. Some words on the limits to growthC. An alternative perspective to the concept of development
1. Our Common Future vs. Whose Common Future?
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Become familiar with the websites below.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Does the United Nations provide an adequate and sufficient definition of
sustainable development? What is to be sustained?
2. Given the context of sustainable development within the United Nations, what is meant by development? What are the power relationships involved? Who is defining development?
OPTIONAL READINGS:
(1) Sachs, Wolfgang, "Global Ecology and the Shadow of Development,"
in in Harris, et al., A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic
Dimensions, Island Press: Washington, 2001: 94-8.
(2) Agarwal, Anil and Sunita Narain, "Global Warming in an Unequal World: A Case of Environmental Colonialism," in in Harris, et al., A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Dimensions, Island Press: Washington, 2001: 101-4.
(3) The Ecologist, Whose Common Future?: Reclaiming the Commons, New Society Publishers: Philadelphia, PA, 1993.
LINKS:
THREADED DISCUSSION:
Keep these ideas in mind as we proceed into our discussion on climate change.
The climate change process we will consider next week stems from the UN's
broader sustainable development agenda. As we consider the actions taken
to mitigate climate change, keep in mind who is setting that agenda.
NRES 3000/5000
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 2 -- JANUARY 31
TOPIC:
Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations
(Part 2): Climate Change and the United Nations process
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:55 Part II: Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations: Climate Change and the United Nations process
I. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
A. UNFCCC Process
1. Conference of Parties (COP)
Meetings: yearly meetings designed to mitigate climate
change
and foster development
2. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC): independent group of experts
deliver
assessment reports on the state of climate change science, impacts and policy
3. Forestry example of the politics
involved
4. The Kyoto Protocol and the Marrakech
Ministerial Declaration
B. Slides from the COP meetings
C. Discussion
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
(1) Daly, "Sustainable Growth: An Impossibility
Theorom," in J. S. Dryzek and D. Schlosberg, eds., Debating the Earth:
The Environmental Politics Reader, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1998:
285-89. Click
here to open the website to this article.
(2) Topfer, Klaus, "Foreword: From Rio to Earth Summit 2002," in Dodds, Felix (ed.) Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal, Earthscan Books: London, 2000: xiii-xiv.
(3) Brundtland, Gro Harlem, "Our Common Future and Ten Years After Rio: How Far Have We Come and Where Should We be Going?" in Dodds, Felix (ed.) Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal, Earthscan Books: London, 2000: 253-63.
OPTIONAL READINGS:
(1) Rosales, Jon, "The Science-Policy Process: Distortions at Each Iteration,"
Climate Change Communications Conference Proceedings, June 2000. [http://geognt.uwaterloo.ca/c3confer/papers/C2design.pdf]
(2) Norgaard, Richard, Development Betrayed: End of Progress and a Coevolutionary Revisioning of the Future, Routledge Press: New York, 1994.
(3) Costanza, Robert and Herman E. Daly, "Natural Capital and Sustainable Development," in Harris, et al., A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Dimensions, Island Press: Washington, 2001: 14-7.
LINKS:
The United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
http://www.unfccc.de/
The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How do the climate change activities of the UN relate to the broader conception
of sustainable development as declared in the Brundtland Report and Agenda
21?
2. Does the UNFCCC alleviate, continue or exasperate
the unequal distribution of development?
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 3 -- FEBRUARY 7
TOPIC: Introduction and History of Sustainable Development within the United Nations (Part 3): Climate Change and the United Nations process
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:35, Climate Change Negotiations
4:35-4:50, Class discussion on Final Question
4:50-4:55, Discussion of group assignment (see bottom of page)
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Selection sections in Harris, J.M. and T.A. Wise, K.P. Gallager, and N.R. Goodwin (eds.). Part 2: Economics of Sustainability: The Social Dimension. In A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Dimensions.(Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2001).
-Introduction, Timothy Wise, 47-57
-Three articles, from 58-67
IN CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (PICK TWO OF THE THREE):
In the sections on social dimensions, authors discuss how social scientists have challenged economic scientists in the way that development and poverty was measured and assessed.
What, to you, were the most interesting failings of traditional economic assessments of poverty and development? Refer to the readings in your comments.
How would a sociologist go about collecting information about empowerment or equity, based on the materials that you read for class? What do you think is the role of the sociologist in the application of information derived from the study of empowerment or equity?
Timothy Wise refers to several indicators of human development and poverty. Take a moment to look at one of these using the links below. How is social science used in the formation and calculation of these indicators?
OPTIONAL READINGS:
Sneddon, C.S. 2000. 'Sustainability' in ecological economics, ecology and livelihoods: a review. Progress in Human Geography. 24(4):521-549. To open article clink here (.pdf file)
-Three articles in your text, from 68-78
LINKS:
1998 Human Development Index (a .htm document)
2001
Human Development Report ( .pdf document),
1999 Human Development Index data on page 140
1999 Human Poverty Index rank, pg. 151, comparison data on page 149
World Bank's World Development Report, 2000-2001, "Attacking Poverty"
List of other online World Development Reports from 1992
IN CLASS DISCUSSION #2:
In class this week, students will be asked to begin to consider which of the following topics that they would like to present on in one of the eight remaining weeks. The topics listed below are among those to be discussed in the Rio+10 Earth Summit in 2002.
There will be a total of 8 groups, with no more than 3 students each. If more than one group of students wants to address a particular topic, then these groups are responsible for determining a unique aspect to address within that topic (this can be best done by reviewing the U.N. documents related to that topic, and working with the mentor to define the questions to be addressed by each group).
These topic groups will be required to:
1. Provide at least two reading selections, under 20 pages total, for the class three weeks prior your presentation.
2. Providing guiding discussion questions and discussion goals two weeks prior to their appointed discussion date, and are appointed
3. Presenting a 10 minute introduction to the topic, with each group participant addressing a particular question in the topic.
4. Facilitating the discussion to maximize group participation and reflection on relevant issues.
ASSIGNMENT DUE IN TWO WEEKS (FEB. 21):
Each
student will be asked to develop one discussion topic literature review in
the course, with the first draft due in class on February 21. This literature
review will include the readings that you would recommend for the discussion
your group will lead (with a limit of 30 pages total), an outline of what
you will contribute in presenting the topic to the class (your whole group
should use less than 30 minutes), and the questions that you would propose
your group address with the class in discussion (we ask for less than five
questions total). Each student will produce a unique bibliography and review
of literature, outline and questions relevant to the
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 4 -- FEBRUARY 14
TOPIC: Economic Science Perspectives
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:25, Economic & Social Science Perspectives
Presentation (Suzanne Savanik & Emily Pullins)
4:25-4:55, Class discussion of readings on Economic and Social science perspectives
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Everyone will read the Economics of Sustainability:
The Environmental Dimension Overview Essay
by Jonathan Harris p3-13 in your textbook: A Survey of Sustainable Development:
Social and Economic Dimensions.
Students will also read ONE of the following essays from A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Dimensions:
Constansa and Daly, "Natural Capital and Sustainable Development" p.14-16
Martinez-Alier, "From Political Economy to Political Ecology" p29-32
ElSerafy, "Green Accounting and Economic Policy" p. 33-36
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Why do proponents of sustainable development criticize standard economic theory?
What is green accounting? How can it be used to more accurately reflect sustainable development? What are its drawbacks?
How does the economic system contribute to social conflicts over environmental issues?
Pick ONE of the web sites listed below and come to
class prepared to describe the site to the rest of the group. What is the
organization's
purpose? How is this group trying to address sustainability issues through
economics? What are the drawbacks to their approach?
SITES TO REVIEW BEFORE CLASS:
Sustainable Measures
A site that explores both sustainability and indicators, and encourages the
visitor to begin to use indicators or to improve indicators already in use.
Sustainable
Business
"You'll learn about how many of the world's largest firms are using eco-efficient
practices to shrink their footprint, cut costs, increase revenues, and transform
the very definition of themselves. The stage is set to dramatically reduce
the quantity of materials used in production, take-back products and reuse
them, and to altogether dematerialize products."
Redefining Progress
Redefining Progress is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that develops
policies and tools that reorient the economy to care for people and nature
first.
ASSIGNMENT DUE NEXT WEEK:
Each
student will be asked to develop one discussion topic literature review in
the course, with the first draft due in class on February 21. This literature
review will include the readings that you would recommend for the discussion
your group will lead (with a limit of 30 pages total), an outline of what
you will contribute in presenting the topic to the class (your whole group
should use less than 30 minutes), and the questions that you would propose
your group address with the class in discussion (we ask for less than five
questions total). Each student will produce a unique bibliography and review
of literature, outline and questions relevant to the
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 5 -- FEBRUARY 21
TOPIC: Ecological and Ecosystem Science Perspectives
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:25, Ecological and Ecosystem Science Perspectives
Presentation
4:25-4:55, Class discussion of readings on eco-science perspectives
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Everyone reads:
(1) Harris, J.M. and T.A. Wise, K.P. Gallager, and N.R. Goodwin (eds.). Part 5: Agriculture and Renewable Resources. In A Survey of Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Dimensions.(Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2001).
(2) Select and read at total of TWO articles to read from either Part V or Part VI of the your textbook, Survey of Sustainable Development. Pick two cases that are of interest to you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
For our discussion questions this week, we will use some of the Core Questions for Sustainability Science (to see all of these, click here). Three of these questions are listed below. For discussion, prepare to talk about ONE of these questions, based on ONE of the cases that you read about in your textbook. Given the conclusions made about the state of the economic and ecological science in the case that you selected, how much of the question posed can you answer? What are the apparent gaps or problems that are preventing us from answering the question posed, in the case that you selected? Where might you go to get more information about this case?
ASSIGNMENT DUE IN CLASS:
OPTIONAL READINGS:
Gummer, J. 2000. Fish Forever. Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal. F. Dodds, ed. Chapter XX. Earth Scan Publications Ltd.: London. pp. 278-288.
Bass, S. 2000. International Forest Initiatives. Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal. F. Dodds, ed. Chapter 8. Earth Scan Publications Ltd.: London. pp. 99-108.
LINKS:
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 6 -- FEBRUARY 28
TOPIC: Defining Sustainability Science
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:20, concept of Sustainability Science Presentation
4:20-4:45, Class discussion of readings on Sustainability Science, based on
discussion questions for readings.
4:45-4:50, Topic Group discussion session, literature selections
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Kates, Robert W., Clark, William C., Corell, Robert, Hall, J. Michael, Jaeger, Carlo C., Lowe, Ian, McCarthy, James J., Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim, Bolin, Bert, Dickson, Nancy M., Faucheux, Sylvie, Gallopin, Gilberto C., Grubler, Arnulf, Huntley, Brian, Jager, Jill, Jodha, Narpat S., Kasperson, Roger E., Mabogunje, Akin, Matson, Pamela, Mooney, Harold, Moore III, Berrien, O'Riordan, Timothy, Svedlin, Uno. 2001.ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: Sustainability Science. Science. 292: 641-642. To open article file click here (.html format)
Lele, Sharachchandra and Richard B. Norgaard. 1996. Sustainability and the scientist's burden. Conservation Biology. 10(2): 354-365. To open article file click here (.pdf format)
United Nations Division for Sustainable Development. 1999. Science for Sustainable Development: Agenda 21-Chapter 35. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21chapter35.htm
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Last week, we looked at some of the specific cases that have been addressed in Agenda 21 that have involved ecological, ecosystem, social and economic scientists working together on "natural resources". This week, we looked at writings that suggest the way that these sciences are working together can be improved.
In the Sustainability Science article, the authors discuss at length methodological barriers to realizing a "sustainability science". What was ONE issue addressed that you found most compelling or surprising? Why?
In the Sustainability and the Scientist's Burden article, the authors present a dilemma different than that in the first reading. This article details the problems for scientists who try to "operationalize" sustainability, mostly from a political and philosophical dimension. What was ONE issue addressed that you found most compelling or surprising? Why?
Finally, which of these two articles had an approach to "sustainability science" that think is more likely to succeed? Justify your answer.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 7 -- MARCH 7
TOPIC: Sustainability Science, Part II
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:35 Discussion with Dr. Alison Harmon
4:35-4:55 Closing discussion about Sustainability Science
We will discuss as a group the suggestions made by the National Research Council on the role of scientific information and scientists in sustainable development and international environmental protection policy formation.
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
This reading has a small amount of text on each page.
Board on Sustainable Development, National Research Council. 1999. Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability. Chap. 6: Integrating Knowledge and Action. 275-332. To open web-based chapter, click here (a website)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
This week, we have read excerpts from the U.S. National Research Council Report on how to transition national research priorities towards "operationalizing" sustainability. Read Chapter 6 of this report in preparation for a discussion with a visitor to our class, Dr. Alison Harmon (Food Science Instructor and Senior Extension Associate, Penn State Univ.).
Dr. Harmon is an expert in how agricultural practices can affect food choices, consumption patterns, hunger and obesity. Use the NRC report and last week's class discussion to ask Dr. Harmon questions about how sustainability science relates to the case of agricultural food systems.
After Dr. Harmon leaves class, prepare to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Sustainability Science concept as a class. Key questions that will be reviewed in discussion are:
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 8 -- MARCH 14
TOPIC: Community-level Action on Agenda 21
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:30, Presentation on linking global to local
scale in science, policy and practice (Suzanne Savanik)
4:30-4:55, Class discussion of readings on Community-level action, based on
discussion questions for readings.
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Girardet, H. Cities and the culture of Sustainability.
In Dodds, Felix (ed.) Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal.
(
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 9 -- MARCH 28
TOPIC: Promoting Sustianable Agriculture and Rural Development
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05:4:30 Presentations by class leaders on :
4:30-4:50 Class discussion on readings and discussion questions (SEE BELOW)
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
(1) Complete text of Agenda 21: Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/rio+5/agenda/chp14.htm
This is a layman's ch. 14 and some links at the top of the page to road to rio, 5 documents and road from rio.
(2) FROM YOUR BOOK, A BRIEF READING: Harris, J.M.and T.A. Wise, K.P. Gallager, and N.R. Goodwin (eds.). A Survey of Sustainable development: Social and Economic Dimensions. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2001. Pgs 155-159
(3) Doran, John W. (2002). Soil health and global sustainability:
translating science into practice. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment,
88(2), 119-127.
Click here to open this article as a .pdf file.
My portion of our group’s presentation on sustainable agriculture will be focused on soil health as an indicator of sustainable practices. I will give an overview of the John Doran article that I selected for part of the reading. This overview will focus on the use of studying soil health to indicate the sustainability of the management practices being used. The variety of indicators that are available will be explored and the need to adjust standards for soil health to the region and climate will be addressed. I will also tie in the use of soil health as an indicator of sustainability to the broad goals of encouraging sustainable agriculture that were laid out in chapter 14 of Agenda 21. Finally, I will suggest that the identification of indicators of sustainability, such as soil health, would be an important step for the Rio+10 Summit to take.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Why do you think that agricultural issues have not been at the forefront as forest and climate change issues have been?
What can be learned from examples of sustainable agriculture? (csa's and Cuba example, which will be talked about in class.)
One of the following:
• With the increasing demands of feeding a growing population, how will
it be possible to return to less intensive forms of agriculture that preserve
the long-term health of our soils?
• What are some of the possible ways that sustainable agriculture can
get around the problem of it being “hard to be green when you’re
in the red?”
• What local, regional, national and international actions can people
take to help put sustainable agriculture into practice?
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 10 -- APRIL 4
TOPIC: Water -- A Key Resource for Sustainable Development
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
-Keywords /issues: what do you think of when you think of water as a resource?
-why are we focussing on gray and rain water recovery?
-Megan- alternitives sources to meet our water needs
-Jen- our water uses and standards
-water cycle, where does your water come from and go to?
-Guest: Clint Elston : rain water recycling at home.
how homes are made self
sufficient. impending legislation to keep from discouraging this.
(www.equaris.com)
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
(1) The Family Cistern: 3,000 Years of Household Water
Collection in Jordan
http://www.hf-fak.uib.no/smi/paj/Waahlin.html
(2) Drought in Georgia
http://interests.caes.uga.edu/drought/
(3)Rainwater harvesting: a new water source
http://twri.tamu.edu/twripubs/WtrSavrs/v3n2/article-1.html
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- WEEK 11 -- APRIL 11
TOPIC: Conservation of Biodiversity AND Environmentally Sound Management of Biotechnology
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
RaeLynn will be speaking first 4:05-4:20
Heather second 4:20-4:35
We will then open it up for classroom discussion with a brief closure at the end
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
(1) READING ON BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining
Natural Life Support
Processes http://www.esa.org/issues4.pdf
(2) READING ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
http://www.bio.org - Just look through this
site briefly to understand the industry's view of Biotechnology.
(3) Agenda 21 Chapter 15 & 16.
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21chapter15.htm
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21chapter16.htm
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How do you see the issue of biodiversity relating to biotechnology?
In what ways do you see your day-to-day life impacting biodiversity?
Is Biotechnology a sound way of food production? Is it safe and effective when it comes to feeding the world's hungry?
Should there be a limit to the amount of Biotechnology enhanced foods grown in a certain area, or should there be no limits to this new technology?
TOPIC: Business Interests & The Earth Summit
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
4:05-4:20 - UN and Sustainable Industry
4:20-4:35 - Sustainable practices used in business - case studies
4:35-4:55 - Discussion
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
A
Business Case for Sustainable Development
http://www.basd-action.net/docs/documents/business-case.pdf
Agenda
21, Chapter 30: Strengthening the Role of Business and Industry
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21chapter30.htm
U
of M Pollution prevention & Waste Abatement Policy
http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/administrative/PollutionPrevention.html
3M
Environmental website
http://www.3m.com/about3m/environment/index.jhtml
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
TOPIC: Protection of the Atmosphere
CLASS ACTIVITIES:
Class Activities
4:05-4:30 Matt will discuss the timeline of events having to do with the atmosphere
and he will tell about certain arguments surrounding this issue and how you
can get involved in organizations and activities. He will also discuss how
this topic fits into agenda 21 and our readings. He will also talk about what
will happen at the next earth summit and what has happened since the last.
4:30-4:55 Discussion questions and video "The Greening of Planet Earth"
READINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASS:
Repetto, Robert,
Austin, Duncan,. Et al. "The Costs of Climate Protection: A Guide for
the Perplexed."
A Survey of Sustainable Development. Washington: Island Press, 2001.
Safe Climate. 28 Apr. 2002 .
Bequette, France. "S.O.S. climate-but don't worry." UNESCO Courier. July-Aug. 1993. 28 Feb. 2002.
http://web3.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/564/401/48518871w3/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A14347839&dyn=6!xrn_24_0_A14347839?sw_aep=umn_twincities
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE -- FINAL
Instructions:
Your final is due on Thursday, May 16, at 5:00pm. You must send the final via WEBCT email. Answer all three questions. Each question should be answered in at least 500 words, and no more than 2500 words. Use proper grammar, spelling, citations, and essay structure in constructing your answers. It is important that you substantiate your answers using references to readings from the course in EVERY question, in order to receive full credit.
This final is worth 20% of your grade in the course.
Question 1: Given Daly's interpretation of sustainable growth, is sustainable development as it is defined and pursued by the United Nations an impossibility?
Question 2: Review the article "Sustainability Science" that was assigned earlier in the semester. Based on the presentation you gave for class, explain:
a. How the one or more of the core questions in the article relate to the issues that you addressed in your presentation
CORE QUESTIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
How can the dynamic interactions between nature and society-including lags and inertia-be better incorporated into emerging models and conceptualizations that integrate the Earth system, human development, and sustainability?
How are long-term trends in environment and development, including consumption and population, reshaping nature-society interactions in ways relevant to sustainability?
What determines the vulnerability or resilience of the nature-society system in particular kinds of places and for particular types of ecosystems and human livelihoods?
Can scientifically meaningful "limits" or "boundaries" be defined that would provide effective warning of conditions beyond which the nature-society systems incur a significantly increased risk of serious degradation?
What systems of incentive structures-including markets, rules, norms, and scientific information-can most effectively improve society capacity to guide interactions between nature and society toward more sustainable trajectories?
How can today's operations systems for monitoring and reporting on environmental and social conditions be integrated or extended to provide more useful guidance for efforts to navigate a transition toward sustainability?
How can today's relatively independent activities of research planning, monitoring, assessment and decision support be better integrated into systems for adaptive management and societal learning?This is a reproduction of Table 1. from: Kates, Robert W., Clark, William C., Corell, Robert, Hall, J. Michael, Jaeger, Carlo C., Lowe, Ian, McCarthy, James J., Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim, Bolin, Bert, Dickson, Nancy M., Faucheux, Sylvie, Gallopin, Gilberto C., Grubler, Arnulf, Huntley, Brian, Jager, Jill, Jodha, Narpat S., Kasperson, Roger E., Mabogunje, Akin, Matson, Pamela, Mooney, Harold, Moore III, Berrien, O'Riordan, Timothy, Svedlin, Uno. 2001.ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: Sustainability Science. Science. 292: 641-642.
b. Which of the research strategies suggested in the article would be most helpful for addressing the issues that you addressed in your presentation?
Question 3: Explain how, for the issues that you addressed in your presentation, Agenda 21 proposed both local and international action on the issue. In your answer, reflect on what the barriers are to local action on the issues that you addressed in your presentation.