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Past Global Changes (PAGES) Launches a Paleoscience Magazine for Young Adults
The Past Global Changes (PAGES) project, a Global Research Project of Future Earth, has launched a new paleoscience magazine for teenagers and young adults. Past Global Changes Horizons highlights science of the past, written in an easy to understand, visual format, for those interested in, and wanting to learn more about, environmental issues and global climate change. The objective is to make readers aware that looking to the past, through the science of the past, can help us better understand the current environmental crisis, and what can be done to help Earth’s future. Find more here.
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Webinar on 30 April Organized by the Joint AIMES/GLP Working Group on Large-scale Behavioural Models of Land Use Change
The webinar "The role of machine learning, game design & parallelization in the future of land use modeling" will be held on 30 April at 15:00 (CEST). In this webinar, you will learn exciting new advances in social simulation and computational modeling that can support better representation of human behavior in the land system. The webinar will conclude with a discussion among presenters and attendants about how these advances can be used to develop a new generation of land system science models. Attendance is limited to the first 100 participants who join the meeting the day of the event, regardless of registration order. All registrants will receive the webinar materials and a recording link after the event. Please register here and find more about the Joint AIMES/GLP (Global Land Programme) Working Group here.
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Registration Now Open: The 2021 Bratislava Conference on Earth System Governance
The conference themed “Earth System Governance in Turbulent Times: Prospects for Political and Behavioral Responses'', will take place from 7-9 September 2021. The conference brings together the Earth System Governance Project – the largest social science research network in the area of governance and global environmental change. The conference is hosted in collaboration with CETIP, Slovak University of Technology and SLOVAKGLOBE, among others. Given the uncertainties related to public health and travel, the organizers have decided to proceed with a virtual conference format, although possibilities for on-site attendance may still arise. For further information please visit the conference website.
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SOLAS Presented at the Centenary Celebration of Xiamen University and IPO-China Launched
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Xiamen University, a Global University Presidents' Forum on 'University Mission in the Post-COVID Era and Informatization of World-Class Universities' was organized on 5 April 2021 in Xiamen, China. More than 50 presidents and representatives of universities worldwide participated and SOLAS was presented at the forum as a part of the international collaboration of Xiamen University. The SOLAS International Project Office (IPO)-China was also inaugurated at the forum.
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SOLAS is Co-sponsoring the "8th International Symposium on Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces"
In collaboration with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, ESA, the University of Exeter, and the OCB, SOLAS is co-sponsoring the 8th International Symposium on Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the main event has been postponed to 2022; however, to maintain an active community, a free online event will be organized on 19 May 2021 from 13:00 - 16:00 BST. Find more information and registration (free) here.
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Knowledge-Action Networks
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Two New Publications Available from SSCP KAN
Check out new publications prepared by the Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production Knowledge-Action Network (SSCP KAN).
The perspective provided by this paper is motivated by emerging European Union (EU) regulations related to making supply chain due diligence the responsibility of firms doing business in the EU. That is, penalties and fines for EU based organizations who have poor or illegal environmental or social practices occurring anywhere in an organization’s supply chain. This is a ‘changing of the guard’ since previous monitoring of the supply chain was voluntary and industry-led, a neoliberal construct. The paper identifies a number of research questions emerging from these new regulatory schemes.
This chapter discusses the particular challenges and potentials of communicating sustainable consumption. It is based on an extensive scoping process by an international working group (part of SSCP KAN) that aimed at summarizing the current state of research on communicating sustainable consumption and the development of an agenda for future research and practice in this field. This chapter presents some of the key insights from this work.
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Highlights (In Case You Missed It)
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The Climate Summit Brought Commitments and Revealed Challenges to Achieving Climate Goals
Under the leadership of President Biden, a two-day virtual Climate Summit was held with leaders from 40 countries joining, including large emitters, such as China, Russia, and India. During the Summit, the U.S. committed to achieving a 50% to 52% reduction in greenhouse gas from 2005 levels, by 2030. The EU also committed to cutting carbon emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels, by 2030. Japan, the world's fifth largest emitter, also pledged to reduce emissions by 46% from 2013 levels, by 2030. In addition to these commitments, President Biden also called for rich nations to take more responsibility and confirmed that the U.S. continues to strive to send $100 billion from rich countries to developing nations. Developing nations are seeking financial assistance to decrease emissions, and Brazil has already asked the U.S. Administration for $1 billion on the condition that its country reduce deforestation by 40%. Read more here about commitments made by various countries and challenges that could arise to achieving climate goals.
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Research Bytes from Anthropocene Magazine
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As Deciduous Trees Take Over Boreal Forests, They could Reverse Carbon Losses from Massive Fires
As more intense forest fires continue to release stored carbon into the atmosphere and alter forest make up, scientists are trying to understand the long-term effects changing forest landscapes will have on carbon emissions. Recently a team of researchers found that deciduous trees are starting to dominate areas previously covered by slow-growing spruce trees. The work, published in Science, finds that the faster-growing deciduous trees can store more carbon over a 100-year recovery period than the previous spruce forests, leading to net positive carbon storage. Read more...
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Carbon Labeling of Food Shifts People’s Behavior—Even among Those Actively Trying to Avoid Information
Carbon footprint labels cause people to choose meat products with 25% lower climate impact, according to a study of hypothetical purchasing decisions conducted in Sweden. The study lends support to an emerging strategy of carbon labeling in grocery stores—but suggests such labels have to be carefully designed in order to reach those who might rather not think about the environmental impact of their food. Read more...
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Lab-cultured Seafood is Coming. But can It Actually Relieve Pressure on Global Fisheries?
We’ve heard plenty about cultured beef burgers and lab-grown chicken breasts in the last few years. But what about cell-based seafood? Proponents of this emerging industry argue that diverting human appetites from wild-caught fish, to seafood grown in a lab, could be one way to ease pressure on global fisheries and replenish fish stocks. Read more...
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Bioplastic Made from Wood Waste is Durable Yet Degradable
The race to make plastics renewable has led to bioplastics made from cornstarch, sugarcane, potatoes, coffee grounds, food waste, and algae. Researchers now introduce a new contender made of waste wood powder that they say could be a stronger, cheaper, and more sustainable alternative. The bioplastic, reported in the journal Nature Sustainability, is strong: it can hold liquids without degrading and resist damage from UV light. Yet at the end of its life, it can be fully recycled or biodegraded. Read more...
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To see more upcoming events, and share your own, join the Future Earth Membership Portal.
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SRI2021: Early Career Fund Now Available for Young Professionals
Closes: 30 April 2021
The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021) has created a dedicated Early Career Fund which will support young professionals to participate in the event virtually or in-person, if the country of residence is Australia. Interested candidates can submit their applications online. The Fund is a dedicated financial support mechanism, covering the event registration fees for a limited number of early career professionals. Find more here.
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Register for Workshop Organized by European Space Agency on the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) Mission
When: 10-12 May 2021
The CIMR Mission will uniquely observe a wide range of geophysical parameters in the Cryophere, Ocean, Land and Atmosphere to address the needs of Copernicus Services and provide evidence to underpin the management and monitor the impact of the Integrated European Policy for the Arctic. Registration for the science workshop to be held 10-12 May 2021 is still open and free of charge. This meeting is the first opportunity for the CIMR user community to provide inputs to help bridge the gap between the scientific measurements made by the CIMR mission and preparation for their application in both Copernicus operational services and scientific applications based on the capability of the CIMR mission in support of Copernicus.
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Postdoctoral Researcher Position at Ghent University, Belgium
Closes: 15 May 2021
This position will be hired by UGent-Woodlab in collaboration with the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR) at the University of Arizona. The LTRR is the world's foremost department specialized in dendrochronology, with particular expertise in tree-ring based climate reconstruction and geochronology. An outstanding postdoctoral candidate who can work on tree-ring based temperature reconstructions and X-ray CT technology is welcomed to apply. Find more here.
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Future Earth Vacancy: Senior Science Officer (Paris, France)
Closes: 16 May 2021
The Paris Hub of the Future Earth Secretariat is seeking a Senior Science Officer to lead its engagement at the science-policy interface. The call will be closed as soon as a candidate is successful, and no later than 16 May 2021. The Senior Science Officer will work in a dynamic international setting on a range of issues. The primary responsibilities of the Senior Science Officer will be to contribute to various Future Earth activities at the science-policy interface and lead our engagement in CBD and IPBES. Find more here.
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Register for the Virtual Workshop: Boreal Forests and Climate Change
When: 20-21 May 2021
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS) and Future Earth welcome you to an open two-day scientific webinar on boreal forests and climate change with experts from around the world, linking research on different scales and areas of knowledge. Invited speakers will discuss the European and Nordic contexts of boreal forests, climate, and their management, while touching on Russian and Canadian forests. The goal is to provide an overview of what current research shows, identify gaps in understanding boreal forests as carbon sinks and their resilience towards future disturbances, and inform ongoing debates about forests and forestry, from local to global scales. Register here and find more about the workshop here.
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Workshop Organized by the AIMES Working Group on Land Data Assimilation
When: 14-16 June 2021
A virtual workshop "Tackling Technical Challenges in Land Data Assimilation" will be held from 14-16 June 2021 (9-12pm EDT/ 3-6pm CEST). This workshop will bring together land data assimilation scientists to highlight the range of methods used within the community, discuss challenges facing different land modeling communities, and identify strategies for addressing those challenges. Excellent speakers will give short (15 minute) talks over 1.5 hours each day on a range of topics under 3 workshop themes with breakout discussions. Find more information here and register for the workshop here.
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Call for Applications: The 2021 Edition of the Global Development Awards Competition
Closing Date: 9 June 2021
The Global Development Awards Competition is calling for applications for two categories as below.
1. The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD)
The Global Development Network (GDN) invites researchers from low-income or middle-income countries to submit research proposals within the theme, 'International trade and the promotion of biodiversity.' The three winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 45,000. Find more here. A call for ORD reviewers is also open until 19 May 2021.
2. The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP)
The Global Development Network (GDN) invites non-profit NGOs and CSOs from low and lower-middle-income countries to submit project applications within the following three themes:
- Universal health coverage and COVID
- Community-driven climate-related disaster risk reduction in rural areas
- Quality urban infrastructure and community driven governance.
For each theme, the winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 45,000 and, in total, the MIDP category will award 9 grants worth US$ 135,000. Find more here. A call for MIDP reviewers is also open until 5 May 2021.
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Workshop Organized by the AIMES Working Group on 'Modeling the Earth System and Human interactions' (MESH)
When: 19-21 July 2021
The Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI) is hosting a virtual workshop 'Linking Human and Earth System Models for Global Change Analysis' from 19-21 July 2021. Model and scenario analysis using models of the human and/or Earth System are important tools for global environmental change research. These approaches have informed past assessments produced by the IPCC and contribute to the current AR6 assessment cycle. However, as research questions and new assessments increasingly address the intersection of human and Earth systems, there seems to be a need for improved coupling between human and physical systems that would allow for feedback and interactions to occur and emergent properties to evolve. The workshop will include invited talks, breakout groups, and plenary discussions. For those interested in participating in this workshop and/or submitting a scientific poster for its public lecture event, an open registration application is available here. Find more about the AIMES Working Group on MESH here.
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"We must now agree on a binding review mechanism under international law, so that this century can credibly be called a century of decarbonisation."
– Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
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